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Published : 23 Jul 2025, 12:09 PM
Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief advisor, has pushed back against allegations that the government was covering up casualty figures from the deadly fighter jet crash at Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Uttara.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Shafiqul drew on his decades-long experience in reporting on major disasters and said it was "virtually impossible" to hide the number of casualties from a disaster in Bangladesh.
His comments came a day after heated student protests demanding transparency and accountability over Monday's Air Force jet crash that killed 29 people and injured over 150 others, mostly children.
Shafiqul visited the crash-hit campus on Tuesday, alongside Law Advisor Asif Nazrul and Education Advisor CR Abrar. But they were confined inside Milestone School for nearly nine hours by angry student protests. They eventually left the area under heavy police protection around 7:30pm.
Addressing the incident, Shafiqul wrote: "Thank you for your prayers and support yesterday. We visited Milestone College to meet with the bereaved families, as well as the students and teachers who are still reeling from the tragedy. The atmosphere was heavy with grief and anger. Many students shared firsthand accounts and expressed frustration over conflicting reports about the death toll.
"From my experience covering major disasters between 2002 and 2024, I can say that hiding the actual number of casualties in Bangladesh is virtually impossible. Initially, the list of the missing comes from families. Later, it is verified through hospitals and relevant authorities. In this case, the college authorities can identify the missing using their daily attendance records."
In an effort to ensure transparency in the accounting of the deaths from the tragedy, the two advisors instructed the college administration to set up a control room on campus, he said.
"This facility will provide regular updates on the number of injured and deceased, with figures matched against the school's registry. Importantly, the advisors recommended including current students and alumni in the Control Room's operations. We anticipate it will be fully operational today.
Shafiqul noted that the health ministry is regularly providing updates from hospitals, and the Armed Forces are cooperating in the process.
"I can unequivocally state that the government has no reason to underreport casualty figures."
Shedding light on the experience of being stranded at Milestone School for nine hours, Shafiqul said that even though the officials could have left earlier, they decided against it in a bid to broker a "peaceful resolution" without the use of force.
"They [the advisors] were prepared to stay for as long as necessary, and we departed only when it was appropriate."
Expressing condolences over the loss of lives and injuries, he emphasised the government's commitment to preventing such tragedies in the future.
"Our hearts go out to the students and teachers who lost their lives. This was a national tragedy, and they are all martyrs," he said.
"Let us work together to enhance our air defence systems to prevent future tragedies. The government is committed to improving national security and ensuring zero air-related disasters.
