United News of Bangladesh

Trashing the false information surrounding the casualty figures from the tragic plane crash into Milestone School and College, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Wednesday firmly said the government has no reason to underreport the numbers. In a post on his Facebook account, he also said it is now virtually impossible to hide casualty figures in Bangladesh. “As someone who has reported on numerous major disasters between 2002 and 2024, I can attest that concealing casualty figures is virtually impossible in Bangladesh. Initially, families report their loved ones as missing, but as information becomes available from hospitals and authorities, they can usually locate their relatives. In this case, Milestone College can cross-reference daily attendance records to identify those unaccounted for,” Alam said.  He said the Health Ministry is also providing regular updates on the status of those receiving treatment in various hospitals, and the military is contributing to these efforts. “I can unequivocally state that the government has no reason to underreport casualty figures.” Advisers, CA’s Press Secretary finally leave Milestone School after 9 hours   In the post, Alam also expressed gratitude for the prayers and support extended to him and the two advisers, who spent nine hours at Milestone School and College in Uttara’s Diabari area, amidst student protests on Tuesday. “We visited Milestone College to meet 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,” he said.  To ensure transparency, the Press Secretary said, two Advisers instructed the school to establish a Control Room on its premises.  He said this facility will provide regular updates on the number of injured and deceased, with figures matched against the school's registry.  Importantly, Alam said the Advisers recommended including current students and alumni in the Control Room's operations. “We anticipate it will be fully operational today.” “We spent nine hours at the school yesterday (Tuesday). Although we could have left earlier, the Advisers were committed to resolving the situation peacefully, without the use of force. They were prepared to stay for as long as necessary and we departed only when it was appropriate,” he said.  The Press Secretary said their hearts go out to the students and teachers who have lost their lives, and described the jet crash as a national tragedy, referring to those killed as martyrs. “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,” Alam added.

BNP on Tuesday arranged a doa mahfil seeking peace for the departed souls of those, including students, who were killed in the tragic plane crash at Milestone School and College in Uttara. Leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies took part in the programme organised by the party on the ground floor of its Nayapaltan central office. They prayed for the peace of the teachers and students who lost their lives in the plane crash. As part of State Mourning Day, a black flag was hoisted at the party office early in the morning, while the national flag was kept at half-mast. The leaders and activists of the party wore black badges as a mark of mourning. In the morning, the Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal (BNP’s youth wing) started a blood donation programme in front of the party office for the injured. Members of Jubo Dal and other party activists donated blood for those who were injured in the crash. In a brief speech at the doa mahfil, BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said, “We are all deeply shocked. There are no words to express this grief. This is an irreparable loss. The death toll seems to have crossed 27. Those who survived will also not be able to live a normal life. These children have died – how will we ever wipe the tears of their parents?” “We are observing mourning across the country. Even if we mourn for a month or a year, we cannot bring them back. From the bottom of our hearts, we all – regardless of religion or background – pray to the Almighty to grant peace to their souls and give strength to their grieving parents,” he said. Milestone College students stage protest during visit of advisers Asif Nazrul, CR Abrar Gayeshwar questioned why a training flight, especially of a fighter aircraft, was conducted in such a densely populated city. He said that usually this type of training is held in remote areas where there are no people. “Why then was this training done in a crowded area of Dhaka?” “People naturally have questions… Who will answer for this? Even if we don’t have wars every year, the army still carries out training exercises – we know those are usually done in far-off regions, not in crowded places,” he said. The BNP leader said that before every flight, whether a fighter jet or not, the aircraft must be tested by an aeronautical engineer or flight engineer to confirm if it is fit to fly. “There’s a whole process of pre-flight checks. So naturally, people are asking – did the trainers or supervisors properly check if the plane was in working condition? These questions are now being raised by the public,” he said. Gayeshwar said, “I’m not just saying my own words – I’m speaking about the feelings and questions of the people. I believe the relevant authorities must be hearing this. We want to know: was there any error or fault on your part? Was the aircraft properly inspected before flying? Was it in a safe condition to operate?” On behalf of the people, he demanded that the authorities find and share answers to those questions. “I’m not blaming anyone. But the nation has the right to know the truth so that such a tragedy never happens again in the future.”

The scheduled exams for today (Tuesday) in Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent have been postponed due to the BAF training aircraft crash in Uttara, Information. Youth and Sports Advisers Mahfuj Alam and Asif Mahmud respectively announced it on their verified Facebook accounts early Tuesday. They made the announcement following a directive from Education Adviser Professor Dr Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar, read the posts. “In a meeting with the Education Adviser, the decision to postpone Tuesday’s HSC exams was confirmed,” the posts stated. The advisers took to social media to announce it around 2:30am Tuesday. Netizens and students criticized the education boards' initial decision to continue with the exams despite the national tragedy. Prof Yunus assures probe into aircraft crash, urges all not to crowd hospitals The decision followed mounting criticism on social media after the terrible aircraft crash that left dozens dead and many injured. Investigative journalist Zulkarnain Saer expressed frustration on Facebook, writing, “Where is the Health Adviser? The Education Adviser already said there’s no link between today’s tragedy and the HSC exam. How can he even say that?” Rifat Rashid, president of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, also called for postponement, writing: “Postpone tomorrow’s HSC exam, Interim Authority! After such a tragedy, no student is in a state to sit for exams.” Tuesday’s scheduled exams included Chemistry (Theory) 2nd Paper, Islamic History & Culture 2nd Paper, History or Home Economics 2nd Paper, and Production & Marketing 2nd Paper.