‘Bangladesh is now a role model to tackle disaster’
Bangladesh is now a role model in dealing with natural disasters under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr. Enamur Rahman.
He made the remarks while leading a delegation to Bangkok at the 15th Regional Consultative Committee meeting on tackling disaster management at the Grand Hall of the Atheni Hotel in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, on Friday (Jan. 17).
The state minister said, " Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was the forerunner countering the disaster in the tidal bore and cyclonic storm of 1970. About 10 lakh people died in that cyclone. Despite such a big human disaster, the then Pakistani government did not extend its support to the affected people. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with the party leaders conducted rescue and relief operations in the area. After that bitter experience, Bangabandhu prepared the Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) in 1972 after the country's independence.
He further said, "Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman built 172 cyclone shelters to protect the lives of the people from the cyclone. Bangabandhu’s worthy daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has so far built 378 ‘Mujib Killa’ in the coastal area. In the coastal area 3868 multipurpose cyclone shelters have been constructed and steps have been taken to construct another 1650 cyclone shelters.
Dr. Enamur Rahman said, " Under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has now earned a separate honor not only as a role model for dealing with natural disasters but also as a role model for development."
"We have about 56,000 trained volunteers to deal with the disaster," he said. In addition, 32,000 city volunteers, 24lakh Ansar VDP, 17 lakh scouts, 4 lakh BNCC, about 4 lakh Girl's Guide - they are also trained in this field. In case of any disaster, they ignore the risks of own life and work for the benefit of humanity. UN honored Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her 'Champions of the Earth' award in recognition of her prudent leadership in counteracting the adverse effects of climate change.
In the meeting Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shah Kamal, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief spoke.
Representatives from more than 40 agencies participated in this conference in addition to the representatives of government agencies on disaster management in 20 countries in Asia and the Pacific, in order to further enhance and strengthen regional cooperation, stability and inclusive integration in the face of disaster.
The three-day multinational conference will conclude through the Bangkok Declaration.