State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief M. Iqbal Hossain today said the government has attached the highest priority to preparedness for major disasters such as earthquakes and has undertaken a series of initiatives to strengthen search and rescue operations and emergency communication systems.
He made the remarks in parliament while responding to a question under Rule 71 by treasury bench member from female reserved seats Rasheda Begum Hira.
The state minister said the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief is implementing a project titled "Procurement of Equipment for Search and Rescue Operations and Emergency Communication during Earthquakes and Other Disasters."
Under the project, internationally standard Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) equipment, heavy rescue machinery, emergency communication systems and specialised rescue tools are being procured to enhance the capacity of 10 agencies involved in disaster response.
The agencies include the Fire Service and Civil Defence, Armed Forces Division, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP), Bangladesh Police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Department of Disaster Management, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
Iqbal Hossain said that following the Prime Minister's directive, the government has undertaken an initiative to prepare 100,000 volunteers for Dhaka city and its surrounding districts.
"So far, a database of 64,837 volunteers has been prepared, including 43,237 civilian volunteers and 21,600 members of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force," he said.
The state minister said the government is also implementing various programmes, including regular drills, training, public awareness campaigns and capacity-building initiatives for search and rescue teams.
He added that the issues of identifying and declaring unsafe high-rise buildings constructed in violation of the building code, removing boundary walls, shops and other structures built by encroaching on roads to widen streets, and ensuring hospitals near high-risk areas could be addressed in coordination with the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, the Local Government Division and the Ministry of Health.
He said the matter is of utmost importance and the government is continuing its efforts in this regard.
In a supplementary question, Rasheda Begum Hira said that while most government measures focus on post-earthquake response, greater emphasis should also be placed on long-term preventive measures before earthquakes occur.
She noted that Bangladesh is comparatively more vulnerable to earthquakes as it lies at the junction of the Indian, Eurasian and Burma tectonic plates.
Citing experts, she said the 62 minor earthquakes recorded in 2025 and 54 in 2024 could be precursors to a major earthquake in the future.
She also identified several areas of the capital, including Sabujbagh, Kamrangirchar, Hazaribagh, Kakrail, Ibrahimpur, Pallabi, Khilgaon, Kalyanpur, Gabtoli, Shyampur, Mohammadpur, Uttara, Sutrapur and Manikdi, as being highly vulnerable and suggested gradually decentralising Dhaka.
Responding to the supplementary question, the state minister said the government is fully aware of the risks associated with tectonic plates and recently held a meeting with national experts on the issue.
He said the meeting decided to identify highly vulnerable areas along fault lines and take priority-based precautionary measures there.
The state minister said the government is working at different levels to reduce earthquake risks and make rescue operations more effective to minimise potential losses.
"Although all planned initiatives have not yet been completed, the activities are continuing and visible progress is expected in the near future," he added.
Eathquake / Disaster Management and Relief Minister M. Iqbal Hossain
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