Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam. Photo: Collected

DHAKA, July 23, 2025 (BSS) – Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has said there is no reason for the government to conceal the figures of the casualties in the Bangladesh Air Force training jet crash into Milestone School and College building in the capital’s Uttara on Monday.

“I can unequivocally say that there is no reason for the government to show the incident less important than it really happened,” he wrote in a facebook post today.

In his post, Shafiqul Alam said yesterday they visited Milestone College and met the bereaved families and students and teachers who are still reeling from the shock of the horrific accident. 

“The atmosphere there was filled with grief and anger. Many students directly told us their experiences and expressed disappointment over the showed death figure,” he said.

Expressing his experience as a journalist, the press secretary said he covered numerous major accidents and disasters from 2002 to 2024.
 
“I can certainly say that it is practically impossible to hide the number of casualties in Bangladesh. In case of any missing person, his/her family initially informs it to the hospital and concerned authorities. From there they find out their loved ones. In this case, Milestone College can also cross-reference the records of the attendance of the students to find out the missing ones,” he said.

To ensure transparency, the school authorities have been asked to set up a control room on the campus to provide regular updates on the number of the injured and death tolls, he said. 

Importantly, the two advisers of the interim government who visited the scene yesterday have recommended that the control room should include current and former students in its operations, he said. 

“We expect the control room to be fully operational from today,” Shafiqul Alam hoped.

The Health Ministry is providing regular updates on the condition of those undergoing treatment in various hospitals while members of armed forces are also assisting in this effort, he said. 

The press secretary said, “We spent nine hours in school yesterday. Although we could have left earlier, the advisers were committed to resolve the situation peacefully without resorting to any force. They were ready to stay there as long as needed. We left after the situation calmed down,” he said.

“We mourn the loss of the students and teachers who lost their lives in this tragic accident. This is a national tragedy and they are all martyrs. We call upon everyone to work together to improve our air defence system to prevent such tragedies in future. The government is committed to improving national security and reducing aviation-related disasters to zero,” he said.