“We’ve the preparations (to protect lives and property from the fury of the cyclone)...we always pray to Allah so that the cyclone doesn’t cause any loss to lives and property,” she said while addressing a meeting of the National Disaster Management Council (NDMC).

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the preparations and thanked all concerned for taking proper measures in this regard, said PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim while briefing reporters.

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Sheikh Hasina said this cyclone, which is a natural disaster, has come at a time when the government has been working to overcome the coronavirus crisis.

“We can’t resist it (cyclone) but we can take measures to protect the lives and property of people as much as possible. And we’ve been taking these measures,” said Hasina who attended the meeting from Ganobhaban through a videoconference.

She said 13,241 cyclone shelter centres have been opened in coastal districts where some 20 lakh people have already taken shelter.

Turning to agriculture, she said 90 percent Boro paddy has already been harvested.

Also read: 50 cyclone shelters ready in Cox's Bazar: IOM

Sheikh Hasina, also the NDMC chairperson, said her government has formulated a disaster management policy as she had witnessed huge casualties and colossal damages caused by the 1991 cyclone.

Assuming power in 1996, her government took measures to modernise the country’s meteorological department which had been in a very poor condition for lack of modern equipment.

“Now, we can collect (meteorological) information through satellite as well,” said the Prime Minister adding that Bangladesh also signed some agreements internationally to get meteorological information in time from neighbouring countries.

The ministers concerned, the cabinet secretary and chiefs of the three services joined the meeting from the Secretariat.

But State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman attended it from Ganobhaban.