Bangladesh role model in calamity management: Ashraf

Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam has claimed that the Awami League-led government is being hailed as a role model by the world for its proactive response at disaster management.

The Awami League General Secretary made the claim at a programme in the capital on Saturday.

He said, “The country is much more equipped in tackling cyclones and floods. The Sheikh Hasina government is now looked upon as a role model in disaster management by the world.”

He said that the BNP government had failed miserably in managing the aftermath of the 1991 cyclone that had left over 30 thousand dead.

He said that despite such a “big” flood in 1998 during the tenure of Hasina’s government no casualty was reported.

He said that a lot had improved on the calamity prediction and management fronts since independence. He said during the East Pakistan era there was little technology and means available to predict or face the calamities.

“There was not even one helicopter available in East Pakistan to evacuate the affected”, he said.

He said that the prime minister, who was abroad when cyclone was building up, was regularly in touch during the whole period and was constantly being updated on the developments.

He added that due to adequate preparations on the part of the government, the damage due to the cyclone had been minimal. 

Speaking about the prime minister’s recent Bulgaria visit, he said that the president of Bulgaria  had hailed Haisna and said that Bulgaria had much to learn from Bangladesh.