Government to prepare 1 lakh volunteers for earthquake response in Dhaka

A preparatory meeting on earthquake response was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The meeting was held at the Cabinet Division of the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday (July 29) to discuss strengthening post-earthquake emergency response and overall government preparedness.

The meeting discussed in detail the formation of a national task force, the preparation of one lakh volunteers for post-earthquake emergency services in Dhaka and surrounding areas, their training and the provision of necessary equipment. It was noted that a database of 70,000 volunteers has already been prepared, and the remaining 30,000 will be prepared soon.

The meeting also discussed various programmes to raise public awareness in tackling earthquakes. Additionally, a decision was taken to form a special cell on earthquake preparedness at the Prime Minister's Office.

Ways to ensure effective coordination between government and private institutions during potential disasters were also discussed. The establishment of Humanitarian Staging Areas (HSA) in Dhaka city was also deliberated upon.

The meeting was attended by Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief M. Iqbal Hossain, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Professor Dr M. A. Muhit, Prime Minister's Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, and Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Md Saidur Rahman Khan, among others.

Source: BSS