MOHIUDDIN AHMED KHAN
DEPUTY SECRETATYDISASTER MANAGEMENT AND RELIEF DIVISION,BANGLADESH

COUNTRY PROFILELOCATION OF BANGLADESH

Bangladesh officially People’s Republic of Bangladesh (Gano Prajatantri Bangladesh) is acountry in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with
Burma (Myanmar) and by the Bay of Bengal to the south.

Climate:Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate marked by sweltering temperatures and high humidity.
Bangladesh lies between 20°,34” and 26°38” north, between 88°01”, and 92°41” east. Its climate is
tropical and humid. The country has mainly four seasons e.g. pre-monsoon (March to May),
monsoon (June to September), post-monsoon (October to November) and dry (December to
February). Its climate is influenced by the Indian Ocean monsoon climate. During summer and2

monsoon tropical cyclones, storms and tidal bores are not uncommon. The average annual rainfall
is between 2200 and 2500 mm, but the maximum range is between 1200 to ‘5000mm. About 80% of
the rainfall occurs during the monsoon i.e. from June to September. The average temperature varies
from 25 to 350C year. Sometimes it falls below 10°C during winter.

Topography
The topography is mostly flat, except in some parts in the northeast and southeast, which are hilly.
The entire country is a delta formed by the deposition of sediments carried by the three large river
systems, i.e. the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna. Some older deposits also exist in thecentral and western parts of the country. Hilly areas occupy 12, terrace areas 8% and flood plains
80% of the country. The land elevation varies from -3 to 90 MSL. More than 50% of the flood plains
are within 5 MSL.

Location of Bangladesh in South Asia

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PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Bangladeshi(s).
Population (July 2009): 135 million.
Annual population growth rate (July 2009 CIA est.): 1.29%.
Ethnic groups (1998,): Bengali 98%, other 2% (including tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims).
Religions (1998,): Muslim 83%; Hindu 16%; Christian 0.3%, Buddhist 0.6%, others 0.3%.
Languages: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English.
Education: Attendance--61%. Adult literacy rate--47.5%. (UNDP Human Development Index
2007/2008)
Health (Ministry of Health): Infant mortality rate (below 1)--59/1,000. Life expectancy-- 60.25 years.
Work force (70.86 million): Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries--63%; manufacturing--11%; mining andquarrying--0.2%.

Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Independence: 1971 (from Pakistan).
Constitution: 1972; amended 1974, 1979, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1996, 2004.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet.
Legislative--unicameral Parliament (345 members). Judicial--civil court system based on British
model.
Administrative subdivisions: Divisions, districts, sub districts, unions, villages.
Political parties: 30-40 active political parties. Largest ones include Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP), the Awami League (AL), the Jatiya Party, and the Jamaat-e-Islami Party.
Suffrage: Universal at age 18.

Economy:Bangladesh has an agrarian economy. Agriculture accounts for nearly 46 percent of the GDP andprovides employment to more than 61 percent of the workforce. Jute and rice are main cash crops.
Other crops are tea, sugarcane, oilseeds, vegetables, spices, wheat, potatoes, tobacco and cotton.
The major industry in Bangladesh is jute processing followed by cotton, steel, garments andpharmaceutical.

4Fiscal year: July 1 to June 30.
Annual GDP growth rate (FY 2008): 6.2%; (FY 2008 World Bank est.): below 6%.
Current GDP (2008 est.): $84.2 billion (official); $226.4 billion (PPP).
Per capita GDP (2008 est.): $554 (official); $1,500 (PPP).
Inflation (December 2008): 6.03% (point to point basis) and 8.9% (monthly average basis).
Exchange rate: Dec. 2009: U.S. $1=69.03 BDT; 2008: U.S. $1=68.55 BDT; 2007: U.S. $1=69.89
BDT.
Annual budget (2008 est.): $12.54 billion.
Natural resources: Natural gas, fertile soil, water.
Agriculture (19.1% of GDP): Products--rice, jute, tea, sugar, wheat.
Industry (manufacturing; 28.6% of GDP): Types--garments and knitwear, jute goods, frozen fish andseafood, textiles, fertilizer, sugar, tea, leather, ship-breaking for scrap, pharmaceuticals, ceramictableware, newsprint.

Trade:
Total imports (FY 2008)--$21.6 billion: capital goods, food grains, petroleum, textiles, chemicals,
vegetable oils. Growth rate over previous fiscal year: 25.95%. Total exports (FY 2008)--$14.11
billion: garments and knitwear, frozen fish, jute and jute goods, leather and leather products, tea,urea fertilizer, ceramic tableware. Growth rate over previous fiscal year: 16.04%. Exports to U.S.
(Jan.-Dec. 2008)--$3.74 billion. Imports from U.S. (Jan.-Dec. 2008)--$468.1 million.

Geographical information
Bangladesh is a low-lying, riparian country located in South Asia with a largely marshy jungle
coastline of 710 kilometers (440 mi.) on the northern littoral of the Bay of Bengal. Formed by adeltaic plain at the confluence of the Ganges (Padma), Brahmaputra (Jamuna), and Meghna Rivers
and their tributaries, Bangladesh's alluvial soil is highly fertile but vulnerable to flood and drought.
Hills rise above the plain only in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the far southeast and the Sylhet
division in the northeast. Straddling the Tropic of Cancer, Bangladesh has a subtropical monsoonal
climate characterized by heavy seasonal rainfall, moderately warm temperatures, and high humidity.
Natural calamities, such as floods, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, and tidal bores affect the country
almost every year. Bangladesh also is affected by major cyclones on average 16 times a decade.

5The areas around Dhaka and Comilla are the most densely settled. The Sundarbans, an area ofcoastal tropical jungle in the southwest and last wild home of the Bengal tiger, and the Chittagong
Hill Tracts on the southeastern border with Burma and India, are the least densely populated.

Origin of People

The area that is now Bangladesh has a rich historical and cultural past, combining Dravidian, IndoAryan, Mongol/Mughul, Arab, Persian, Turkic, and west European cultures. Residents of Bangladesh,
about 98% of whom are ethnic Bengali and speak Bangla, are called Bangladeshis. Urdu-speaking,non-Bengali Muslims of Indian origin, and various tribal groups, mostly in the Chittagong Hill Tracts,
comprise the remainder. English is spoken in urban areas and among the educated.

Sufi religious teachers succeeded in converting many Bengalis to Islam, even before the arrival ofMuslim armies from the west. About 1200 AD, Muslim invaders established political control over the
Bengal region. This political control also encouraged conversion to Islam. Since then, Islam has
played a crucial role in the region's history and politics, with a Muslim majority emerging, particularlyin the eastern region of Bengal.
History
Bengal was absorbed into the Mughul Empire in the 16th century, and Dhaka, the seat of a Nawab(the representative of the emperor), gained some importance as a provincial center. But it remained
remote and thus a difficult to govern region--especially the section east of the Brahmaputra River-outside the mainstream of Mughul politics. Portuguese traders and missionaries were the first
Europeans to reach Bengal in the latter part of the 15th century. They were followed byrepresentatives of the Dutch, French, and British East India Companies. By the end of the 17th
century, the British presence on the Indian subcontinent was centered in Calcutta. During the 18thand 19th centuries, the British gradually extended their commercial contacts and administrative
control beyond Calcutta to Bengal. In 1859, the British Crown replaced the East India Company,
extending British dominion from Bengal, which became a region of India, in the east to the Indus
River in the west.

When British India was partitioned and the independent dominions of India and Pakistan werecreated in 1947, the region of Bengal was divided along religious lines. The predominantly Muslim
eastern half was designated East Pakistan--and made part of the newly independent Pakistan--while
the predominantly Hindu western part became the Indian state of West Bengal. Pakistan's history
from 1947 to 1971 was marked by political instability and economic difficulties.

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Almost from the advent of independent Pakistan in 1947, frictions developed between East andWest Pakistan, which were separated by more than 1,000 miles of Indian territory. East Pakistanis
felt exploited by the West Pakistan-dominated central government. Linguistic, cultural, and ethnic
differences also contributed to the estrangement of East from West Pakistan.

On March 26, 1971, following a bloody crackdown by the Pakistan Army, Bengali nationalists
declared an independent People's Republic of Bangladesh. As fighting grew between the army andthe Bengali Mukti Bahini ("freedom fighters"), an estimated 10 million Bengalis, sought refuge in the
Indian states of Assam and West Bengal. On April 17, 1971, a provisional government was formedin Meherpur district in western Bangladesh bordering India with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was inprison in Pakistan, as President, Syed Nazrul Islam as Acting President, and Tajuddin Ahmed as
Prime Minister. On December 16, 1971, Pakistani forces surrendered, and Bangladesh--meaning"Bengal country"--was born; the new country became a parliamentary democracy under a 1972
constitution.

The first government of the new nation of Bangladesh was formed in Dhaka with Justice Abu
Sayeed Choudhury as President, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ("Mujib")--who wasreleased from Pakistani prison in early 1972--as Prime Minister.

Patterns of Government

The prime minister is appointed by the president. The prime minister must be a Member ofParliament (MP) who the president feels commands the confidence of the majority of other MPs. The
cabinet is composed of ministers selected by the prime minister and appointed by the president. At
least 90% of the ministers must be MPs. The other 10% may be non-MP experts or "technocrats"
who are not otherwise disqualified from being elected MPs. According to the constitution, thepresident can dissolve Parliament upon the written request of the prime minister.

The legislature is a unicameral, 300-seat body. All of its members are elected by universal suffrage
at least every five years. Parliament amended the constitution in May 2004, making a provision for
45 seats reserved for women to be distributed among political parties in proportion to their numericalstrength in Parliament. Several women's groups have demanded direct election to fill the reservedseats for women.

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Bangladesh's judiciary is a civil court system based on the British model; the highest court of appeal
is the appellate court of the Supreme Court. At the local government level, the country is divided into
divisions, districts, sub districts, unions, and villages. Local officials are elected at the union level andselected at the village level. All larger administrative units are run by members of the civil service.

Agriculture

Most Bangladeshis earn their living from agriculture. Although rice and jute are the primary crops,
maize and vegetables are assuming greater importance. Due to the expansion of irrigation networks,
some wheat producers have switched to cultivation of maize which is used mostly as poultry feed.
Tea is grown in the northeast. Because of Bangladesh's fertile soil and normally ample water supply,
rice can be grown and harvested three times a year in many areas. Due to a number of factors,
Bangladesh's labor-intensive agriculture has achieved steady increases in food grain production
despite the often unfavorable weather conditions. These include better flood control and irrigation, agenerally more efficient use of fertilizers, and the establishment of better distribution and rural credit
networks. With 28.8 million metric tons produced in 2005-2006 (July-June), rice is Bangladesh's
principal crop. By comparison, wheat output in 2005-2006 was 9 million metric tons. Populationpressure continues to place a severe burden on productive capacity, creating a food deficit,
especially of wheat.

Industry and Investment

Fortunately for Bangladesh, many new jobs--1.8 million, mostly for women--have been created by
the country's dynamic private ready-made garment industry, which grew at double-digit rates throughmost of the 1990s. The labor-intensive process of ship-breaking for scrap has developed to the point
where it now meets most of Bangladesh's domestic steel needs. Other industries include sugar, tea,
leather goods, newsprint, pharmaceutical, and fertilizer production. The country has done less well,
however, in expanding its export base--garments account for more than three-fourths of all exports,
dwarfing the country's historic cash crop, jute, along with leather, shrimp, pharmaceuticals, and The
Bangladesh Government continues to court foreign investment. Bangladesh also has establishedexport processing zones in Chittagong (1983), Dhaka (1994), Comilla (2000), Mongla (2001),
Iswardi (2005), Uttara (2006), and Karnafully (2007).

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Administrative Unit:

The lowest administrative unit is the union run by an elected union council. Each union comprises
about 20,000 inhabitants and about 8-10 unions cluster into Upazila(sub district). Government
services are concentrated at Upazila level. There are about 472 Upazila in Bangladesh. Several
Upazila form a district. The total number of districts stands at 64. The entire country broadly divided
into six administrative divisions, namely Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal and Sylhet.

Natural Hazards in Bangladesh

Natural Hazards Likely to Affect the Country:

Historical statistics would suggest that Bangladesh is one of the most disaster prone countries in theworld with great negative consequences being associated with various natural and human induced
hazards. The geophysical location, land characteristics, multiplicity of rivers and the monsoon
climate render Bangladesh highly vulnerable to natural hazards. The coastal morphology of
Bangladesh influences the impact of natural hazards on the area. Especially in the south easternarea, natural hazards increase the vulnerability of the coastal dwellers.

Disasters and Bangladesh• Flood• Tropical Cyclone• Storm Surge• Tornado• River Bank Erosion• Drought• Earthquake• Arsenic• Fire9Source : ISDR website

Natural and human induced hazards such as floods, cyclones, droughts, storm surges, tornadoes,
earthquakes, riverbank erosion, fire, infrastructure collapse, the high arsenic contents of groundwater, water logging, water and soil salinity, epidemic, and various forms of pollution are frequent
occurrences. Over the years, Bangladesh has developed an elaborate system of disastermanagement. However, in the past, the focus of disaster management had been relief andrehabilitation.

Key factors of vulnerability
•
•
•
•
•
•

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Geographical location
Dominance of flood plains
Low elevation from the sea
Global warming & climate changeHigh population density
High level of poverty

Major Disasters in Bangladesh
Year
1970
1988
1988
1989
1991
1996
1997
1998
2004
2007
2007
2009

Disaster
CycloneFlood
CycloneDrought
CycloneTornadoCyclone
Flood
Flood
Flood
CycloneCycloneDeath
470,000
2373
5704
800
138,882
545
550
918
747
800
3,406
190
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Recent Major Disaster in Bangladesh: Cyclone “Aila”.

Almost 200 disaster events have occurred causing more than 500,000 deaths and leaving prolonged
damage to livelihoods, infrastructure and the economy of Bangladesh shocked by cyclone 'Aila' Thistidal surge severely damaged both life and property in southern western coastal districts of11

Bangladdesh. In the early hours of 25th Mayy,2009 at nooon, the cycllone "Aila' hit the Bangla
adesh
coastal districts, at a wind of 60
0-70KPH accompanied by 8-10 feett tidal surgess above norrmal tide.

Some picturespoff 'Aila' Affec
cted Areass and Suffe
erings of pe
eople

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1

Recent Major Disaster in Bangladesh:
The Path way of the severe cyclone 'Aila' which affected coastal Belt of Bangladesh in2009 .

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Regulative Framework
In order to manage the paradigm shift in disaster management, a disaster management regulative
framework is established under which the Bangladesh Disaster Management Framework is
implemented, and in which work of Ministries, Departments, NGOs and civil society are undertaken.
The regulative framework provides the relevant legislative, policy and best practice framework underwhich the activity of Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response Management in Bangladesh
is managed and implemented. The framework is comprised of:Disaster Management Act (to be enacted)
The Disaster Management Act creates the legislative framework under which disaster risk reductionand emergency response management is undertaken in Bangladesh, and the legal basis in which
activities and actions are managed. It also creates mandatory obligations and responsibilities on
Ministries, committees and appointments.

National Disaster Management Policy (to be adopted)

The National Disaster Management Policy defines the national policy on disaster risk reduction andemergency response management. and describes the strategic policy framework, and national
principles of disaster management in Bangladesh. It is strategic in nature and describes the broad
national objectives, and strategies in disaster management.

National Plan for Disaster Management
The National Plan for Disaster Management defines in broad outline the systemic and institutional
mechanisms under which disaster risk reduction and emergency response management isundertaken in Bangladesh. It outlines disaster management vision, strategic goals and conceptual
framework. It establishes disaster management regulative and planning frameworks, and identifies
priority areas for disaster risk reduction and emergency response management

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Disaster Management Regulative
Framework
DisasterManagement Act

DM Policy

National Plan for DM

Sectoral Policies

Sectoral Plans(DRR Incorporated)(DRR Incorporated)

Local Plans
Hazard Plans

SOD

Guideline
Templates

Programming for Implementation
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Standing Orders on Disaster (SOD)The Standing Orders on Disaster outlines the disaster management arrangements in Bangladesh
and describes the detailed roles and responsibilities of committees, Ministries, Departments andother organizations involved in disaster risk reduction and emergency response management, andestablishes the necessary actions required in implementing Bangladesh’s Disaster Management
Model, e.g., defining the risk environment, managing the risk environment, and responding to thethreat environment.

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Coordinated Response to
Disaster Emergency

COORDINATION

BILATERALDONORS

Disaster Management
Committees

Humanitarian
Actors

DMC / DRR
-National Level-District Level-Municipal Level-Upazila Level-Union Level

NGOs

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NATIONAL DISASTER CONTEXT• Frequently hit by various natural disasters like Cyclones, Storm surges, Floods, Tornadoes,
Droughts and other calamities.
• Monsoon flooding is an annual occurrence shaping lives and livelihoods.
• Almost 200 disaster events have occurred causing more than 500,000 deaths• and leaving prolonged damage to livelihoods, infrastructure and the economy.
• Climate change is likely to cause significant impact in the form of severe floods, cyclones,
droughts, sea level rise and salinity affecting agriculture, livelihoods, natural orders, water supply,
health etc.
• The disaster vulnerable people demonstrates strong coping capacity to face the disasterchallenges.

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GOB Vision on Disaster Management
To reduce the vulnerability of people, especially the poor, to the effects of natural, environmental
and human induced hazards to a manageable and acceptable humanitarian level
Mission:• to bring a paradigm shift in disaster management from conventional response and relief to a morecomprehensive risk reduction culture
Overall Objective:• to strengthen the capacity of the Bangladesh Disaster Management System
National and international Drivers• Millennium Development Goals (MDG)• Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)• SAARC Framework for Action (SFA)

Disaster Management Institutions
in Bangladesh
National Disaster
Management Council
Inter Ministerial
Disaster Management
Coordination
Committee (IMDMCC)

National Disaster
Management Advisory
Council (NDMAC)

Ministry of Food and Disaster Management

Directorate of Food

Directorate of Relief
and Rehabilitation

Disaster Management
BureauCyclone Preparedness
Programme
Implementation Board

District Disaster
Management Committee
Municipal Disaster
Management Committee

City Corporation
Disaster Management
Committee

Zone / Upazila
Union

Upazila Disaster Management Committee

Union Disaster Management Committee

Village118

National Committees under SOD•
National Disaster Management Council (NDMC)•Inter-Ministerial Disaster Management Co-ordination Committee (IMDMCC)•

National Disaster Management Advisory Committee (NDMAC)•

Cyclone Preparedness Program Implementation Board (CPPIB)•

Disaster Management Training and Public Awareness Building Task Force (DMTATF)•

Focal Point Operation Coordination Group of Disaster Management (FPOCG)•

NGO Coordination Committee on Disaster Management (NGOCC)•

Committee for Speedy Dissemination of Disaster Related Warning/ Signals (CSDDWS)

Field Level Committees under SOD•
District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) headed by the Deputy Commissioner (DC)to co-ordinate and review the disaster management activities at the district level•
Upazila Disaster Management Committee (UZDMC) headed by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer(UNO) to co-ordinate and review the disaster management activities at the Upazila level•
Union Disaster Management Committee (UDMC) headed by the Chairman of the Union
Parishad to co-ordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities of theconcerned union•
Pourashava Disaster Management Committee (PDMC) headed by Chairman of Pourashava(municipality) to co-ordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities within
its area of jurisdiction•
City Corporation Disaster Management Committee (CCDMC) headed by the Mayor of City
Corporations to co-ordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities within its
area of jurisdiction.

Infrastructure for Disaster Risk Reduction• Over 2,500 Cyclone Shelters along the coastal belt of Bangladesh.
• Killas (Elevated Land) for Shelter of Livestock.
• Flood Protection Embankment along coast line.
• 1400 Flood Shelters in Flood-Prone Areas.

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Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP)• Community Based Early warning throughdevoted volunteers.
• A Joint Venture Program of GOB & BDRCS.
• To minimize loss of lives and properties in cyclonic disaster by strengthening the capacity indisaster management of the coastal people of Bangladesh.
• Covers 11 districts and 32 Upazilas (Sub-District).
• Total Volunteers: 42675

Comprehensive Disaster Management Program (CDMP)
CDMP is a strategic institutional and programming approach that is designed to optimize thereduction of long-term risk and to strengthen the operational capacities for responding toemergencies and disaster situations including actions to improve recovery from these events.
Strategic Focus Areas:• Professionalizing the Disaster Management System: Establishment of Policy Program
Partnership Development Unit, Professionalizing development of Disaster Management System,etc.
• Partnership Development: Advocacy and Capacity Building of DMCs.
• Community Empowerment: Program Gap Analysis, Risk Reduction Planning, Livelihood Security
and hazard Awareness, etc.
• Expanding Preparedness Program across a broader range of hazards: Earthquake and Tsunami
Preparedness , Climate Change and Research.
• Strengthening Emergency Response Capabilities: DMIC and Response Management.
Implementation of Hyogo Framework in Bangladesh

Adopting action-plan 2005-2015, Building the Resilience of nations and communications toDisasters at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan in January 2005, the 168
Governments present and recognized their critical role in working with other actors to reduce
disaster at national and local levels.
The first of the Hyogo Framework's five priorities of Action is to ensure that disaster risk reduction
becomes a national basis for implementation in Bangladesh

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Limitations• Insufficient Cyclone & Flood Shelter and Killa (elevated land for livestock).
• Insufficient coastal Embankment & Afforestation.
• Insufficient Equipments for Search & Rescue after earthquake .
• Needs countrywide Volunteers specially for earthquake.
• Needs huge investment for combating River Erosion.

Conclusion• Disaster Management in Bangladesh had gone through a process of significant reforms.
• Following the devastating cyclone of 1991, the focus has been shifted towards adaptation of aholistic approach that embraces processes of hazard identification and mitigation, community
preparedness and integrated response efforts.
• The development of mechanisms with regional and global partners for education, training andknowledge sharing on risk reduction applications is urgently needed.
• Special Fund for disaster-prone nations seeking technical and financial support to initiate risk
reduction programs is also needed.

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