The local administration started asking people through loudspeakers to shift shelter centres or other safer places on Saturday morning, said Md Delwar Hossain, member secretary of hill management committee and additional deputy commissioner (revenue).
Volunteers were seen alerting people using loudspeakers in Lalkhan Bazar and Motijharna areas to avoid possible casualties.
Md Delwar also said nobody would be allowed to stay in risky hills. They will have to move to shelter centres or to their relatives’ houses in safer area, he said.
Ward councillors, hill owners, and government agencies concerned have been instructed to prevent people’s stay in hills at night, Delwar added.
Delwar further said, “If needed, magistrates will conduct drives. We want to prevent deaths by landslides at any cost.”
According to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, Pahartoli High School in Akbar Shah area, Firoz Shah-e-block School in Foy’s Lake area, Chattogram Model High School in Polytechnic College area, Al-Hera Islamic Madrasa in Tankipara area, Roufbad Ideal High School in Miarpara area, Lalkhan Bazar Government Primary School in Lalkhan Bazar area and Sayabad School in Pora colony area were kept ready as shelter centres.
Assistant Commissioner (Land) Towhidul Islam is supervising the shelter centres.
On the other hand, six assistant commissioners (land) of six circles and district relief and rehabilitation officials were deployed to conduct activities in the shelter centres. Adequate relief items like dry food and drinking water were stored in the shelter centers.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall has been forecast for parts of Chattogram and Barishal divisions in the next 24 hours starting at 10am on Sunday.
In a bulletin, the Met Office said rainfall is likely to occur due to active monsoon over Bangladesh. Torrential rain could trigger landslides in the hilly region of Chattogram, it said.
Meanwhile, the Patenga weather office has forecast cloudy weather and Chattogram port has been asked to hoist local cautionary signal number 3.