Bangladesh role model in disaster management too
Citing that Bangladesh is applauded internationally for disaster management, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said not only in development, the country is also a role model in disaster management in the world.
“Bangladesh became a role model not only in development but also in disaster management in the world”.
The premier was addressing a function on International Day for Disaster Reduction at Bangabandhu International Conference Center on Sunday (Oct 13).
She said “Our government has achieved a great success in reducing risk and losses of lives and properties caused by cyclone, flood, drought and earthquake which earned international community’s acclamation.”
The prime minister said in July last Bangladesh hosted Dhaka meeting of the Global Commission on Adaptation, where the former Secretary General of UN declared of establishing a “Global Centre for Adaptation-Dhaka Office” as a symbol of Bangladesh’s outstanding performance to this end.
Sheikh Hasina urged the people of Bangladesh to always remain ready to face any kind of man-made or natural disasters.
Mentioning that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the pioneer in disaster risk reduction programmes in the country, the premier said Bangabandhu had taken various initiatives like building 172 ‘Mujib Kellas’ to protect the lives and properties from devastating cyclone.
“With the kind cooperation of the then League of Red Cross, Bangabandhu had undertaken the Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) in 1972,” she added.
PM Hasina said that currently, the CPP has about 56000 trained volunteers. There are 24-lac Ansar-VDP, 17-lac scouts, 4-lac BNCC and 4-lac Girls Guides members ready to be engaged in humanitarian response at any time.
“Our Government is constructing 378 more Mujib Kellas. Apart from this, 3,868 multi-purpose cyclone shelters have been built across the coastal districts and 1,650 more shelters will be constructed gradually”, she said.
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Disaster Management and Relief Ministry AB Tajul Islam and Senior Secretary of the Ministry Md Shah Kamal, among others, spoke.
