Bangladesh is now a ‘role model’ in dealing with natural disasters, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr. Enamur Rahman said.
The achievement was made possible by imparting disaster preparedness and response strategies to the local people and that volunteers are playing a big role in making the local people proficient in disaster management, he said.
He also urged the volunteers engaged in disaster management to become more “self-reliant” at the round table discussion on the occasion of International Volunteers Day.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief jointly organised a discussion meeting with development partner, Friendship at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka on Sunday.
Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee for the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief AB Tajul Islam MP, Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Md. Mohsin, Director General of Disaster Management Department Md. Atiqul Haque, Chief Conservator of Forests Md. Amir Hossain Chowdhury, Director General of Water Development Board Engineer AM Aminul Haque, Secretary General of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Md. Firoz Saleh Uddin, and Founder and Executive Director of Friendship Runa Khan attended the roundtable.
The speakers said Bangladesh has been facing various natural disasters throughout the years due to its geographical location; not least of which are several cyclones and tidal waves hit the southern coastal districts every year.
Long-term floods are occurring in the north during the monsoon season. Besides, untimely and flash floods are also a regular disaster in the haor area in the north-east.
Consequently, government and non-government organizations, including the Cyclone Preparedness Programme volunteers and flood volunteers, are working tirelessly to save the local people from the damage caused by these disasters.
As a result, it has been possible to reduce the damage caused by the disaster more than before, the experts said.
Also on the occasion of International Volunteer Day, this year the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and Friendship jointly organised various awareness programs including bicycle rallies in Kurigram, Bagerhat, Satkhira and Patuakhali and sight-seeing boat rallies on the river Jamuna at Balasi Ghat in Gaibandha.
