Bangladesh needs to be prepared in such a way that it can face any disaster, whether man-made or natural, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said.
She further said the government has been working tirelessly to fulfil Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s dream of a Golden Bengal.
The prime minister made the comments while addressing an event to mark International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on Sunday, reports UNB.
The event was organized by the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry under the theme “Reducing disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services.”
“Bangladesh now enjoys the honour of being a role model for tackling natural disasters, as well as development,” the prime minister said.
“We want to build the country into a developed and prosperous one. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dreamt of building a Golden Bengal, and we have been working tirelessly to fulfil that dream,” she added.
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Disaster Management and Relief Ministry AB Tajul Islam, and Senior Secretary Md Shah Kamal also addressed the event.
Furthermore, Sheikh Hasina inaugurated 100 multipurpose cyclone shelters in 14 districts, as well as 11,604 disaster resilient houses in 64 districts.
Shefali Rani Shil and Mohammad Shahidul Islam, two people who received disaster resilient houses constructed by the government, expressed their gratitude at the program.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also distributed Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) awards to three volunteers from Chittagong, Barisal, and Khulna divisions at the event. A total 82 volunteers have received the award this year.
Later, the prime minister inaugurated an exhibition on disaster risk reduction.
UN chief: Step up investment to reduce disaster risk
In a message issued to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction on Sunday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on all countries of the world to step up investment by 2020 and ensure that disaster risk reduction is at the heart of the “Decade of Action.”
"We all must now focus on increased ambitions. Let us all push for greater ambition on climate action, disaster risk reduction and all our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals," he said. "Disasters inflict horrendous suffering and can wipe out decades of development gains in an instant."
According to the UN secretary general, the world will invest trillions of dollars in new housing, schools, hospitals and infrastructure in the coming decade.
"Climate resilience and disaster risk reduction must be central to this investment," he added.
