Bangladesh is prone to natural disasters which cannot be stopped but the damage can be controlled, said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, bdnews24.com reports.
“We live in a region where flooding happens quite often, which we have to keep in mind. We must prepare for that,” Hasina said at a news briefing in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The government is working hard to rescue the flood-affected people and provide necessary relief to them, she said.
“We deployed different agencies including the army, navy and air force to rescue people. In some cases, we’ve ensured that people are airlifted,” she said.
The leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations are also working to rescue people, Hasina said.
“It’s a combined effort by all."
Hasina said the people in Sylhet had never seen such a devastating flood. They experienced 976 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period.
“The water coming from Meghalaya and Assam has affected the Sylhet region,” Hasina said, adding the water will recede soon but the southern part of Bangladesh is likely to be flooded too. “We should prepare to combat it."
Earlier, she said she gave directives to break some parts of the roads, if necessary, to ensure a smooth outflow of floodwaters in Sylhet.
The government has already set up 1,285 flood shelters in the region but will set up more. The infrastructure should be built accordingly, enabling it to combat floods and other natural disasters.