Barguna Sadar Correspondent

A monthly district NGO coordination meeting was held on Monday at the Golden Jubilee Auditorium of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, focusing heavily on strengthening collaborative strategies to tackle impending natural disasters.

Presided over by Barguna Deputy Commissioner Miz Taslima Akter, the session underscored the critical need for seamless coordination between government bodies and non-governmental organizations to mitigate the impact of climate-induced crises in the coastal district.

Addressing the meeting, DC Miz Taslima Akter emphasized that proactive, early preparation is the only viable mechanism to counter cyclones and other natural disasters effectively. She urged all relevant authorities and development partners to keep cyclone shelters fully operational, guarantee the supply of safe drinking water, and bolster public security measures across vulnerable zones. The DC also highlighted the necessity of maintaining alternative electricity arrangements and stockpiling emergency relief materials to ensure a rapid, well-coordinated response during a crisis.

At the beginning of the session, the Center for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS) presented a comprehensive report detailing the current disaster preparedness status and ongoing mitigation projects across the district. Following the presentation, several prominent non-governmental representatives took the floor, including District NGO Development Foundation President Zakir Hossain Miraj, General Secretary Masud Alam, BRAC representative Tuhin Alam, Jago Nari representative Golam Mostafa, and NSS representative Zakir Hossain.

The speakers collectively stressed the significance of scaling up mutual cooperation to optimize shelter management and execute rapid, orderly relief distribution in post-disaster scenarios. They emphasized that protecting the most vulnerable segments of the coastal population requires a unified framework where public administration and private development agencies work hand-in-hand. The meeting concluded with the issuance of specific administrative directives aimed at enhancing operational readiness and structural coordination across all tiers of the district.

The meeting was also attended by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Sajal Chandra Shill, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Animesh Biswas, along with heads of various government departments and civil society members.