DHAKA, Oct 08, 2020 (BSS) –State Minister for Relief and Disaster Management Ministry Dr Enamur Rahman today said Japan would provide financial and technical assistance to all installations in Bangladesh to make them earthquake-resistant.
“After several rounds of talks with Japan, they presented a 50-year plan in three phases under which they would provide financial and technical assistance to all installations in Bangladesh to make them earthquake-resistant,” he said.
He made the remarks while participating in a dialogue organized by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at the Media Center at the Secretariat here.
The state minister said the concerned authority has already started the work in this regard aiming to give the future generation of Bangladesh an earthquake-tolerant and safe state.
Regarding lightning strikes in the country, he said 200 or 250 people die every year, most of them in the haor area in this regard.
“We have taken steps to set up a lightning forecasting center that will give signal before 40 minutes in advance from the time of occurrence. We will build one-storey shelters in lightning prone areas including haors so that victims can go to safer shelter. I also plan to install a lightning arrester,” he added.
Stating that the ministry has taken many steps, he said, the concerned authority has amended the permanent work order to bring disaster management into a more pragmatic framework.
An initiative has been taken to set up a National Emergency Center for monitoring the disasters centrally in the country, he said adding that the Prime Minister has allotted three acres of land at Tejgaon in the city and a building is being constructed there with the help of China in this regard.
The construction of 423 flood shelters has almost been completed and the construction of 220 other cyclone shelters has also been completed, he informed, adding that besides, the work of building 550 Mujib forts (Mujib Kella) is also underway.
Chief Information Officer Surath Kumar Sarkar addressed the dialogue chaired by BSRF President Tapan Biswas and conducted by its General Secretary Shamim Ahmed.