The government was set to evacuate 18 lakh people from different coastal areas and shift them to different cyclone shelter centres before the cyclone ‘Bulbul’ hits Saturday evening.
However, many of the coastal people were not willing to leave their residences and take shelters in shelter centres despite repeated request by the authorities concerned.
Md Enamur Rahman, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief, on Saturday said that about 18 lakh people from different coastal areas in the country’s southwestern zone would be shifted to different cyclone shelter centres before the ‘Bulbul’ hits.
The State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief was talking to journalists at a briefing at the Secretariat after an inter-ministerial meeting for disaster management. At the briefing, the state minister described the measures taken by different bodies of the government and preparedness to face the cyclone.
“The evacuation process has been started since Friday night and about 3 lakh people already have been shifted to different shelter centres till 12:00pm Saturday”, the State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief said.
The State Minister said, “All those 18 lakh people would be shifted to 4,071 shelter centres and enough dry foods have been supplied to all the shelter centres.”
He said, personnel from the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard have already taken back all the water transports to the coast from the deepsea areas.
He, however, said there is a tendency of the people of our country that they ususlly do not want to leave there residence until the cyclone hits.
“We have ordered to evacute people forcibly from the coastal areas”, he added.
The state minister informed that Prime Minister Shekh Hasina herself had been monitoring everything.
Apart from the Army, Navy and Coast Guard, medical teams from the LGRD and Health Ministry also remain on standby with saline and drinking water.
Our correspondents from Khulna, Satkhira, Pirojpur, Barguna, Barishal, Jhalakathi, Patuakhali, Bhola, Bagerhat, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar report that local administrations were making announcements on loudspeakers urging people to move away from the coastal and hilly areas and move to cyclone shelters.
Our Chattogram Correspondent reports; A total of 489 shelter centers have been opened while 4,000 educational institutions also kept ready for the people who are being evacuated. People are moving their boats near the shore due to growing waves and rising wind speed owing to the approaching Cyclone Bulbul.
In the city, authorities are mainly focusing on evacuating people from Bandar, Agrabad and Patenga areas, all of which lies on the coastal belt. Government officials and red crescent staff are involved in the evacuation process.
Meanwhile, 485 medical teams have been formed to provide services during the crisis moment.
In Shathkhira, residents of Shyamnagar and Ashashuni upazilas have been asked to leave their residences by 11:00am Saturday and move to shelter centers.
In Pirojpur, people were urged to move away from the risky areas. Authorities have been announcing on loudspeakers going around the district urging people to take shelter at the cyclone centres.
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