BD a role model for disaster management: Minister

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofozzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said Bangladesh is being considered as a role model in disaster management around the world.
“We have been able to minimize losses of lives and property caused by different natural calamities due to different disaster risk reduction and preparedness activities taken by the present government,” he told a function in the Osmani Memorial Auditorium here on Monday on the occasion of International Day for Disaster Reduction-2014.Environment Minister Anwar Hossain Manju and Director General of Department of Disaster Management Mohammad Abdul Wazed, among others, addressed the function.
Maya said loss of lives and damages of property in recent cyclones have been reduced significantly as 190 people were killed in cyclone Aila in 2009 while 17 people were killed in cyclone Mohasen last year. “We enacted the Standing Orders on Disaster in 1997 and amended it in 2010 to make it time-befitting aiming to bring dynamism in the disaster management activities,” he said, adding that the government also formulated National Plan for Disaster Management 2010-2015, Cyclone Shelter Construction, Maintenance and Management Policy- 2011 and Disaster Management Act-2012.” As many as 4,380 cyclone shelters have been constructed so far and 100 cyclone shelters will be built every year to save lives and property during the cyclones, Maya added.
“According to experts, Bangladesh faces a high risk to strong earthquakes. Considering this risk, Bangladesh has been divided into three seismic zones and seismic microzonation maps have been prepared for Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong cities to cut earthquake risks.” he said.