Indian medical team on the way to aid victims
A specialized team of Indian doctors and nurses from Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia and Safdarjung Hospitals—both top institutions in burn and plastic surgery—expected to arrive in Dhaka on Wednesday to assess the condition of critical burn victims and, if needed, recommend treatment in India. Depending on their evaluation, additional teams may also be dispatched.
Zakir Hossain From Dhaka
Amid growing public outcry and social media rumours over the actual death toll from Monday’s Bangladesh Air Force training jet crash at Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara, the interim government and military have strongly denied any attempt to suppress casualty figures. The official death toll has climbed to 32, with many of the over 160 injured, mostly children, still in critical condition.
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Wednesday dismissed allegations of underreporting, calling them “false and baseless.” In a Facebook post, he asserted, “The government has no reason to underreport casualty figures. It is virtually impossible to conceal deaths in Bangladesh. Families report missing persons immediately, and institutions like Milestone College can cross-check attendance records to identify the unaccounted.”
Alam said the Health Ministry is providing real-time updates, while the military is actively involved in coordinating relief efforts. “We visited the college for nine hours yesterday to meet grieving families, teachers, and protesting students. The advisers refused to leave until the situation was peacefully resolved,” he wrote, referring to their visit on Tuesday.
To ensure transparency, a control room is being set up on the school campus to share verified numbers of the injured and deceased. “The advisers recommended involving both current students and alumni in this initiative. We expect it to be fully operational today,” Alam noted. He described the tragedy as a “national calamity,” saying, “Our hearts go out to the students and teachers who perished. They are martyrs. Let us work together to strengthen our air defence systems and prevent future disasters.”
Echoing the sentiment, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director Lt Col Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury said on Wednesday, “We have no intention of hiding any information about the deceased children. Unfortunately, social media is flooded with rumours that are not based on facts.” The 32nd victim, a child, died around 12:45am on Wednesday at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, as confirmed by ISPR and the Health Ministry.
In a significant humanitarian gesture, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first head of government to extend condolences and offer assistance. A specialized team of Indian doctors and nurses from Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia and Safdarjung Hospitals—both top institutions in burn and plastic surgery—expected to arrive in Dhaka on Wednesday, as confirmed while filing this report, to assess the condition of critical burn victims and, if needed, recommend treatment in India. Depending on their evaluation, additional teams may also be dispatched.