Staff Correspondent

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday called for advanced preparedness and proper urban planning to tackle any disaster.

"Alongside natural disasters, there are also manmade disasters. The greatest concern today is that if an earthquake occurs here, Dhaka city will be completely reduced to rubble. We have seen that in various cities around the world, the lack of planned urban systems results in a much higher number of casualties. Therefore, we need to pay greater attention to these issues," he said.

The President urged the relevant authorities to place greater emphasis on urban management, particularly in the construction of houses and buildings, maintaining the proper flow of rivers and keeping rivers free from pollution.

Mirza Fakhrul said these while speaking at a programme held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre here this morning to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, State Minister M. Iqbal Hossain and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Munshi Rafiqul Alam addressed the programme as special guests.

Referring to the recent earthquakes in Kathmandu and Tehran, the President said, "The lack of planned systems significantly increases the number of casualties during disasters. Unplanned urbanisation and the construction of vulnerable buildings can lead to major catastrophes."

He said the people of Bangladesh had long been grown up dealing with various natural disasters like Floods, cyclones, tidal surges, river erosion, landslides, droughts, lightning strikes and earthquakes.

Recalling the massive loss of life caused by the devastating cyclone and tidal surge of 1970 and Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani's reaction "Assalamu Alaikum" to the then Pakistani rulers, he said the 1970 cyclone was an example of how devastating a natural disaster could be and what price even a state might have to pay for it.

Referring to global warming, the President said, "Climate change-induced disasters have become a matter of concern worldwide. Although Bangladesh's contribution to global warming is extremely small, the country is among those suffering the most from its adverse effects. As a result, various communities across the country, particularly people in coastal areas, are facing multiple risks."

At this time, he remarked that Bangladesh has achieved significant success in disaster management since independence.

"Casualties have been reduced substantially through early warning systems, shelters, volunteer networks and increased public awareness. The country's capacity for preparedness, rescue, relief and rehabilitation in dealing with floods and other disasters has also improved," Mirza Fakhrul said.

Emphasising the need for advanced preparedness in disaster management, the President said, "Bangladesh needs to move from early warning to early action. Preparations have to be made to deal with disasters before they occur and we must develop the capacity to recover quickly after disasters."

Referring to the problems faced by volunteers engaged in disaster management, he said, no law had yet been enacted about them. Relevant minister should take necessary measures and initiate steps to formulate a law in this regard.

He also called for taking stronger measures to prevent environmental pollution, conserve wetlands and natural water bodies, ensure risk-informed urban planning and construct disaster-resilient infrastructure to minimize the risks emerge from disasters.

"Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman had launched canal excavation programme to control floods and manage water flows. The present government has also undertaken the programme for natural conservation," the President said urging authorities responsible to implement these programmes sincerely.

"Tree plantation is extremely important. The present government has undertaken a programme to plant around 250 million trees," he added expressing that the initiative would play a significant role in disaster management.

The President noted that people living in disaster-prone areas were highly aware of disaster risks and praised the advance preparedness of people in the haor regions of Sylhet in dealing with disasters.

He also praised the initiatives of the Meteorological Department in issuing early warnings.

The President called on people to respond promptly to the government's early warnings while ensuring safety for their neighbours too.

He also called on all to participate in local disaster management activities and come forward to protect rivers and canals.

Calling for collective efforts to build a disaster-resilient Bangladesh, Mirza Fakhrul said, "Resilience Starts at Home. Let us move forward together and build a disaster-resilient Bangladesh."

Earlier, at around 10am, the President arrived at the venue and visited various stalls set up on the occasion. Before delivering speech, he handed over awards to the best volunteers of the Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP).

The function was chaired by Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam, while Director General of the Department of Disaster Management and Relief Razwanur Rahman delivered the welcome address.

A documentary on disaster management and risk mitigation was screened on the occasion.