Call for steps to protect people vulnerable to disaster

Rights bodies on Sunday demanded disaster and climate-resilient infrastructures for the coastal and disaster prone population, reports UNB.

Disaster and climate-tolerant infrastructures should get the first priority otherwise coastal and disaster prone population will leave their own inhabitant and create extra burden in big cities like Dhaka and Chattogram, they said at a human chain programme in front of the National Press Club on Sunday.

The human chain was formed to in remembrance of devastating cyclone victims of 29th April 1991. It was organised by 30 rights groups, including, Online Knowledge Society, ARPAN, Coast Trust, Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity, Alok Jatra, UDDIPAN, Udayan Bangladesh, Unnayan Dhara Trust, SDO, National Women Farmers Association, , National Workers Alliance, Disaster Forums, Dak Diye Jai, Dwip Unnayan Sonhstha, PSI, Palli-Bangla Unnayan Sangtsha, Bangladesh Workers Federation, Bangladesh Association of Farm Labour Federation, BDPC, Muktir Dak , Labour Resource Centre, SANGRAM , CDP, Sankalpo Trust, Nature Campaign, NIRAPAD, Prantojon and DACOP.

Mustafa Kamal Akand of COAST Trust moderated the human chain, while Shawkat Ali Tutul from the same organisation read out the demands.

Among others Abdul Kader Hazari of ARPAN, Subal Sarker of Bangladesh Bhumihin Samity, Zayed Iqbal Khan of Bangladesh Krishak Federation, Tajul Islam of Disaster Forum and Laila Kabir of BDPC also spoke on the occasion.

Shawkat Ali Tutul said in last 27 years after the devastating cyclone of 1991 there was a little initiative from the government to construct disaster and climate resilient infrastructures in Bangladesh. But the government emphasised mega projects like metro rail, power generation, bridges, flyovers, four-lane roads, multi-storey building, and expressways.