Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday urged all to ensure fire and other safety measures during the construction of high-rise buildings. “During the construction of any high-rise building, it’s needed to ensure a fire extinguishing system. We’re also collecting rescue equipment gradually to reduce disaster risks,” she said while addressing a virtual programme from her official residence Ganobhaban. The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief arranged the programme marking the 50 years of Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) and International Day for Disaster Reduction 2021. Read:Bangladesh is a model country in disaster management: Hasina The audience was connected from the Osmani Smriti Auditorium in the capital and Muktijudda Field in Cox’s Bazar. The government has also been working on its part to reduce fire and other disaster risks, she said, adding that it is enhancing the capacity of the fire service and civil defence to this end. “The people of our country will also have to remain alert about it. They’ll have to take some measures on their own. Whenever you construct houses, offices or business establishments, you need to keep in mind that there might be a fire incident, cyclone or flood. So, you’ve to remain risk-free and take measures in advance accordingly,” she said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said Bangladesh is now a model country in the world in disaster management as it has been able to ease disaster risks remarkably. “Today, Bangladesh is appreciated for effective disaster management for the initiatives we’ve taken following the footsteps of the Father of Nation,” she said while addressing a virtual programme from her official residence Ganobhaban. Read: UK commits £3.1 mn aid to minimise impact of disasters in Bangladesh, other countries The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief arranged the programme marking the 50 years of Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) and International Day for Disaster Reduction 2021. The audience was connected from the Osmani Smriti Auditorium in the capital and Muktijudda Field in Cox’s Bazar. Sheikh Hasina asked all concerned to remain conscious and take proper measures so that the honour Bangladesh has achieved as an ‘ideal country’ over disaster management is not harmed in any way. Since Bangladesh is a delta nation, she said, the AL government formulated Delta Plan 2100 and started implementing 80 projects according to the plan.  Hasina stressed the need for checking river erosion and enhancing water reservoir capacity to face floods. Noting that flood is common in Bangladesh but it is also a blessing as it provides silts and thus increases land fertility, she said, “We’ll have to control floods or to be habituated to live with floods. So, we need to undertake development projects to prevent the loss of lives and property, and have water reservoirs in every area. Read: Govt to give Tk7.70 crore to Covid, disaster-hit families

A curriculum on community-based Cyclone Early Warning Systems has been launched at a ceremony at Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner’s office in Cox’s Bazar district town. Officials from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), which leads the national Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP), launched the curriculum on Friday night. Read: Preparedness strengthened ahead of cyclone, monsoon season in Cox's Bazar: IOM The ceremony was attended by Secretary of MoDMR Md. Mohsin; Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Shah Rezwan Hayat; CPP Director Ahmadul Haque; Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar district Mamunur Rashid;  Representatives from BRAC as well as Professor Dr. ASM Maksud Kamal, Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Dhaka; Sheila Grudem, WFP Emergency Coordinator in Cox’s Bazar. Jointly organized by the government, WFP and BRAC, the event was told that Bangladesh is no stranger to natural disasters; from Tropical Cyclone Bhola pre-independence to Tropical Cyclone Amphan in 2020 and the many floods and natural disasters in between, the people of Bangladesh have proven their resilience to climate shocks. Since 1970, systems and protocols have been developed to save lives and improve recovery time for communities. One of these developments is the implementation of Early Warning Systems, an essential part of disaster risk reduction that gives time to individuals and communities to prepare for an expected disaster. Read: Cyclone Yaas disrupts normal life in 23 chars of Bhola A product of the collaboration between MoDMR and WFP, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and BRAC’s Humanitarian Leadership Academy, this manual, in conjunction with training, will aim to strengthen the capacity of volunteers to disseminate early warnings to communities across all coastal areas where the Cyclone Preparedness Programme is active. “Strengthening emergency preparedness is the best way to protect our communities against natural disasters and climate change,” said Md. Mohsin, Secretary of MoDMR. “We are grateful for the support of WFP and USAID, which helped bring this curriculum to life,” Mohsin added. “We are thankful to the government for taking the lead in developing this curriculum, which will help improve Bangladesh’s early warning systems and should serve as a valuable resource for all humanitarian actors involved in emergency preparedness,” said Sheila Grudem, WFP Emergency Coordinator in Cox’s Bazar. “The new curriculum will help our volunteer capacity development a big deal,” said Ahmadul Haque, CPP Director. Read:Yaas: How Bhasan Char prepared for the cyclone Increasing resilience and reducing the damage caused by disasters is a key priority for WFP due to the profound impact disasters have on food-insecure and vulnerable populations around the world. As part of WFP’s disaster risk reduction programmes in Bangladesh and in collaboration with the MoDMR, since Page 2 of 2 2019 WFP has also rehabilitated 70 cyclone shelters and improved access to them through roads, bridges, and culverts, with support from USAID.