Govt has no reason to conceal jet crash casualty figures
Special Correspondent :
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said there is no reason for the government to conceal the actual number of casualties from the Bangladesh Air Force training jet crash that struck Milestone School and College in Uttara on Monday.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Alam emphasized the government’s commitment to transparency, stating, “I can unequivocally say that there is no reason for the government to show the incident as less important than it really is.”
He confirmed that government representatives, including two advisers from the interim administration, visited the accident site on Monday and met with grieving families, students, and teachers still traumatized by the tragedy.
“The atmosphere there was filled with grief and anger,” Alam wrote. “Many students directly shared their experiences and expressed disappointment over the officially announced death figures.”
Drawing from his two-decade experience as a journalist covering major disasters between 2002 and 2024, Alam stated that hiding casualty numbers in Bangladesh is practically impossible. He pointed out those families typically report missing persons to hospitals and authorities, making any attempt at concealment unsustainable.
He urged Milestone College to cross-reference attendance records to help account for all students and said the school has been instructed to set up a control room on campus to provide accurate and timely updates on injuries and fatalities.
The press secretary noted that the control room is expected to be fully operational from Wednesday and will include participation from both current and former students, as recommended by the two visiting government advisers.
“The Health Ministry is providing regular updates on those being treated at various hospitals, with support from members of the armed forces,” Alam added.
Describing Monday’s visit to Milestone College, he said the government team stayed on the premises for over nine hours to ensure the situation remained peaceful. “The advisers were ready to stay as long as needed and left only after the situation calmed down,” he said.
Expressing deep sorrow over the lives lost, Alam said, “We mourn the loss of students and teachers in this tragic accident. This is a national tragedy, and they are all martyrs.”
He concluded with a call for national unity in strengthening Bangladesh’s air defence system and enhancing aviation safety. “The government is committed to improving national security and reducing aviation-related disasters to zero,” he said.