bdnews24.com :
Shaken by the massive Nepal earthquake, the Bangladesh government has claimed it is ‘reasonably prepared’ to handle such a disaster in the country.
But, its claims don’t appear to be borne out on ground. Experts say the government does have in place guidelines and plans to handle the aftermath of a killer earthquake, but preparation on ground appear flimsy.
There appears to be a clear lack of drills-both to create popular awareness on how to react when an earthquake strikes and also among agencies on how to go about after the earthquake has struck.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that ravaged Nepal on April 25 has left more than 8,000 dead with more bodies being found daily.
That earthquake also shook up Bangladesh and India as well Chinese Tibet.
Experts say if an earthquake of similar intensity hit densely-populated Bangladesh, it would cause much more damage and deaths.
That has sparked debates on how prepared Bangladesh is for handling such an earthquake.
Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya says
Bangladesh is ‘reasonably prepared’ to handle the situation following a killer earthquake.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also warned of tightening building regulations and only allow construction that are earthquake-resistant.
But experts beg to differ.
“In Bangladesh, we are still at an elementary stage when it comes to handling earthquakes. We are not ready to handle a major earthquake,” said Chairman of Urban Research Centre of BUET Nazrul Islam.
“We have a lot in black and white, but in reality the state of pre-earthquake and post earthquake disaster management preparedness is at the lowest level possible,” he told bdnews24.com.
Shaken by the massive Nepal earthquake, the Bangladesh government has claimed it is ‘reasonably prepared’ to handle such a disaster in the country.
But, its claims don’t appear to be borne out on ground. Experts say the government does have in place guidelines and plans to handle the aftermath of a killer earthquake, but preparation on ground appear flimsy.
There appears to be a clear lack of drills-both to create popular awareness on how to react when an earthquake strikes and also among agencies on how to go about after the earthquake has struck.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that ravaged Nepal on April 25 has left more than 8,000 dead with more bodies being found daily.
That earthquake also shook up Bangladesh and India as well Chinese Tibet.
Experts say if an earthquake of similar intensity hit densely-populated Bangladesh, it would cause much more damage and deaths.
That has sparked debates on how prepared Bangladesh is for handling such an earthquake.
Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya says
Bangladesh is ‘reasonably prepared’ to handle the situation following a killer earthquake.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also warned of tightening building regulations and only allow construction that are earthquake-resistant.
But experts beg to differ.
“In Bangladesh, we are still at an elementary stage when it comes to handling earthquakes. We are not ready to handle a major earthquake,” said Chairman of Urban Research Centre of BUET Nazrul Islam.
“We have a lot in black and white, but in reality the state of pre-earthquake and post earthquake disaster management preparedness is at the lowest level possible,” he told bdnews24.com.
