Students shown how to respond during tremor

A team of Japanese experts Sunday conducted an earthquake preparedness training session for the students of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College at Bailey Road in the city to give the students an idea on how to react during a massive tremor.

They provided educational training with videos on major earthquakes and interactive demonstration on how they can prepare for such natural disasters in advance.

The school training session was conducted jointly by Capacity Development of Natural Disaster Resistant Techniques of Construction and Retrofitting for Public Buildings (CNCRP project) under Public Works Department (PWD) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

JICA project communication specialist Eriko Kobayashi conducted the training session and motivated the students to take preparations against earthquakes as well as to sensitise their guardians.

She stressed the need for preparedness among students considering Bangladesh's history of earthquakes and vulnerability of Dhaka's buildings.

Earthquake preparedness and evacuation drill among school students is a common practice in Japan as it is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to earthquakes.

The JICA expert team with the support of the local non-government organisation The Earth will conduct a series of such training sessions in other schools of the city in phases.  

According to CNCRP and other studies, Bangladesh is located on some active faults, and the country has been affected by major earthquakes in every 100 to 150 years of its history. More than 100 years have passed since a heavy earthquake hit Bangladesh - the Great Assam earthquake - in 1897.

 The CNCRP project is in its third year of building capacities of engineers for safer buildings in Bangladesh with technical support from Japan.