No reason to underreport casualty figures: Shafiqul Alam

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has firmly said the government has no reason to underreport the causality figures.

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.

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.”

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.Bangladesh tourism packages

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 on 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 added.