Speakers at a roundtable discussion on Sunday laid emphasis on creating mass awareness about lightning strikes to minimize the casualties and damages in the country, reports BSS.
They said it is not so easy to manage protection from such a quick hazard and that’s why people should be convinced through awareness campaign to stay at safe place during the thunderstorms. Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) organised the discussion at its auditorium with the working journalists to hear their experiences and observation to formulate recommendations to be placed before the government.
According to the statistics, Bangladesh is now become one of the top affected countries of lightning strikes. The world has registered the increased number of lightning strikes by 50 percent while Bangladesh has witnessed more than two folds of the numbers in recent times. Md Yakub Hossain Shikder, research fellow and director of IDEB study and research cell, and Md Monir Hossain, research fellow of IDEB study and research cell, made separate key-note presentations and recommendations to escape the casualties and damages by lightning strikes.
With IDEB President AKMA Hamid in the chair, Bangladesh Climate Change Journalist Forum (BCJF) President and Daily Janakantha City Editor Kawser Rahman, its General Secretary and Daily Bartoman Chief Reporter Motahar Hossain, Channel i Senior News Editor Aditya Shahin, GTV Chief Reporter Raju Ahmed, UNB Senior Staff Correspondent Masud-Ul-Haque and few others took part in the discussion.
The discussants said people should be encouraged to install lightning rods in their houses, which could reduce potential damages from the strikes. Besides, they urged the engineers to develop low cost system so that the farmers could protect themselves from the lightning strikes during the work in the field. Among the victims, 74 percent are farmers.
In the welcome speech, Shamsur Rahman said their association has been conducting research activities through IDEB Research and Study Cell and already placed different recommendations to the government regarding lightning strikes. IDEB President said currently they are preparing recommendation to minimize the casualties and damages by the lightning strikes and hoped to place it before the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina soon.
