Speakers at a programme on Sunday stressed the need for creating opportunities to improve the livelihoods of people living in disaster-prone areas.

They also opined that the disaster management and relief ministry must improve its capacity in some areas to strengthen the country’s disaster management capability.

Leading Bangla daily Bangladesh Pratidin in association with the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief organized the roundtable to discuss issues and ways forward for improving the country’s disaster management capacity.

Addressing the programme, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Chairman Capt AB Tajul Islam said the government had been working to change the fate of the people.

“Some 147 projects are being implemented currently by the government to eliminate poverty.”

State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman said the government had trained volunteers to respond to disasters like earthquakes.

“The ministry has decided to erect embankments at char areas so that people do not face any problem during disasters,” he said.

“The work of auto-shutdown system of electricity and gas line is underway and teams of urban volunteers have been formed for earthquake management,” he said.

Bangladesh Pratidin Editor Naem Nizam opined that the government must have the preparation to face any big disasters.

Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Kamrul Hasan, Director General (DG) of the Department of Disaster Management Md Atiqul Huq, Founder and ED of Gana Unnayan Kendra (GUK) M Abdus Salam and Bangladesh Pratidin Editor Naem Nizam, among others, also spoke at the programme.