ZCZC
BSS-05
PM-DISASTER-NDMC
PM orders continued review of disaster preparedness steps
DHAKA, April 18, 2019 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today ordered
continued review of preparedness measures for facing disasters alongside
launching of a nationwide awareness campaign attributing repeated incidents
of fire to lack of wakefulness.
“Review continuously the government initiatives for successfully handling
the natural disasters and fix what should be done,” she said as she chaired a
National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) meeting at the PMO.
Simultaneously, she said, a nationwide awareness campaign has to be
launched alongside taking timely measures to minimize damages from the
disasters.
“Creating awareness among the people is necessary . . . alongside taking
timely measures from the national, organisational and personal level to
minimize disaster damages,” she said.
The premier herself heads the NDMC which incorporates ministers, senior
civil and military officials including chiefs of the three armed forces and
heads of law enforcement agencies.
The premier asked concerned authorities to publicize the government’s
disaster related directives to let everyone understand what one should do
while facing disasters.
Sheikh Hasina urged all stakeholders to work in a coordinated manner to
minimise people’s sufferings during floods and all other natural disasters
asking all to keep in mind that geo-physical features exposed Bangladesh to
repeated natural disasters.
“So, we have to live with the phenomenon with necessary plans to keep the
extent of damages and loss of lives to a minimal level during any
catastrophe,” the premier said.
The premier said massive infrastructural developments also invites
disasters like inferno while referring to the recent FR Tower and Churihatta
blazes in the capital claiming many lives.
She said her government, however, always responded very fast whenever it
received forecast of any disaster, engaging every human and material support
to reduce the loss of lives and property unlike the previous regimes.
Sheikh Hasina said apart from all concerned government offices, the ruling
Awami League workers worked sincerely to reach food, medicine and other
relief materials to the affected people.
She recalled that the then BNP government took no step while the deadly
1991 cyclone hit the south-eastern coastlines saying “even they didn’t care
to have information about the disaster”.
Sheikh Hasina said the post independence Bangabandhu government had
planned to build 1000 cyclone shelter centres called “Mujib Killa” along the
southern coastlines to protect the belt from tidal surges and cyclones.
Following that footprint, she said, the present government took many steps
for disaster management while it successfully the protracted 1998 deluge
which even inundated the Dhaka city amid a prediction that the flood could
kill 20 million people.
The prime minister said the government took necessary measures to avoid
any possibility of food shortage and keep the sufferings of the people to a
tolerant level.
The present government, she said, is raising volunteers for post
earthquake rescue operation and disaster management.
MORE/AHJ/AR/1400 HRS