Bangabandhu: Pioneer of globally acclaimed disaster management

Official records showed it was indeed a courageous initiative of Bangabandhu to formulate the CPP in perspective of war-ravaged Bangladesh. In the wake of financial crisis to continue the activities of CPP, Bangabandhu provided state patronizations to overcome financial hurdles in only one and a six-month age of independent Bangladesh.

Director of Cyclone Preparedness Programme Khairul Anam Khan said on November 12, in 1970, a powerful cyclone killed 3.5 lakh people and damaged property massively. The cyclone lasted for less than one hour but it made millions of people homeless. It was a tragic history of Bangalee nation as global community was shaken by seeing its terrible and devastating power.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was tremendously shocked at the loss of lives and properties, played major role in forcing the then ruler of East Pakistan to shift election schedule of general election of 1970, which was held on December 17 of the same year.

Khan said soon after the birth of independent Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as part of his sincere efforts to rebuild war-ravaged Bangladesh, felt it necessary to take up measures to build a buffer against natural disaster particularly for tropical cyclone as its devastating power battered coastal parts of the country many times killing huge number of lives, damaging millions of houses and property.

Some 250 cyclones with different magnitudes during post and previous era of Bangladesh hit its coastal parts of Bangladesh. Of which, 15 to 20 cyclones were extremely powerful as they devastated fiercely claiming ten thousands of lives and damaging millions of houses and several lakh hectares of crops. Over one lakh people were killed in three cyclones that hit the then East Pakistan in 1962, 1963 and 1965.

As a result of devastating appearances of the three cyclones, the 1966 General Assembly of United Nations took a resolution that instructed League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS) to provide assistances to the cyclone-hit victims.

Bangabandhu's heart was broken to see the destruction and cruel power of the cyclone in 1970 and he never forgot its devastating impact that tore the coastal regions. As a result, with assistance of League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LORCS) and Bangladesh Red Cross, Bangabandhu started the process to formulate Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP).

With the inception of CPP, a study was carried out to prepare organizational structures to make it effective and sustainable programme. The study result ensured the importance of building community-based disaster management system in which young people will be the driving force, Khan said.

The commitment of Bangabandhu to provide financial assistance for CPP inspired its 20,430 volunteers to extend their humanitarian supports. With the assistance of the United Nations, Bangabandhu had installed earthen forts locally known as "Mujib Kella" in coastal regions aiming to provide shelters of people along with their cattle and domestics birds.

Bangabandhu's milestone initiative helped Bangladesh to attain international recognition of the role model status in the field of disaster management.