ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme

Country Report:
People’s Republic ofBangladesh
By

Mohammad Manirul Islam
Senior Assistant Secretary
Ministry Of Disaster Management and Relief
Government of the People’s Republic ofBangladesh

Disclaimer
This report was compiled by an ADRC visiting researcher (VR) from ADRC
member countries.
The views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect the views of
the ADRC. The boundaries and names shown and the designations usedon the maps in the report also do not imply official endorsement or
acceptance by the ADRC.

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Basic Information
People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Official Name
National Flag

National Emblem

Official Symbol

Capital and largest city

Dhaka, 23°42′N 90°21′E

Official languages

Bengali

Other languages

English, Indigenous minority languages

Demonym

Bangladeshi

Government

Unitary Parliamentary Republic-

President

Abdul Hamid-

Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina
Jatiyo Sangshad

Legislature
Formation-

Declaration of Independence

26 March 1971-

Recognition

16 December 1971

Currency

Taka

Time zone

BST (UTC+6)

Date format



dd-mm-yyyy

Drives on theleft

Calling code

+880

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

General Description:
Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign and country, officially it is known as People’s
Republic of Bangladesh. Historically, the borders of modern Bangladesh took shapeduring the Partition of Bengal and British India in 1947, when the region became theeastern wing of the newly formed state of Pakistan. Following years of politicalexclusion, ethnic and linguistic discrimination, and economic neglect by the politicallydominant western wing, a surge of popular agitation, nationalism and civil disobedience
led in 1971 to the Bangladesh Liberation War, resulting in the separation of the region
from Pakistan and the formation of an independent Bangladesh.
Geographical Information:
Bangladesh is a developing country in South Asia, as it is officially known. It has a border on
the west, north, and east with India, on the southeast with Myanmar, and the Bay of Bengal
is to the south.
Geographical Coordinates:
20°34’ to 26°38’ north latitude and 88°01’
to 92°42’ east longitude
Area:
total: 147,570 km²
country comparison to the world: 94
land: 133,910 km²
water: 10,090 km²Land boundaries:
total: 4,246 km
border countries: Myanmar 193 km, India
4,053 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18 nmi (33.3 km; 20.7 mi)continental shelf: up to the outer limits of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)
Coastline: 580 km with 273 km unbroken longest Sea beach in the world.
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: In the Mowdok range at 1052 m (at N 21°47'12" E 92°36'36")

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a low-lying, riverine country with a largely marshy jungle coastline of 710 km(441 mi) on the northern littoral of the Bay of Bengal. Formed by a delta plain at theconfluence
Brahmaputra

of

the

Ganges(Jamuna),and(Padma),MeghnaRiversand their distributaries and 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. The wholecountry consists of mainly low and flat land,
except for the hilly regions in the northeastand southeast. A network of rivers, with
their

tributaries

anddistributaries,

crisscross the country. Physiographically,
the country can be divided into hills, uplifted
land blocks, and the majority alluvial plainswith very low mean elevation above sea level the In terms of geographical location,
Bangladesh is in the context of the GBM river system. Geologically, Bangladesh is a part oftheBengalBasin, one

of

the

largestgeosynclinals in the world. The Basin isbordered on the north by the steep Tertiary
Himalayas; on the northeast and east by thelate Tertiary Shillong Plateau, the Tripura hillsof lesser elevation, and the Naga-Lusai folded
belt; and in the west by the moderately high,ancient Chotanagpur plateau. The southernfringe of the basin is not distinct, butgeophysical evidence indicates it is open
towards the Bay of Bengal for a considerable
distance. The formation and growth of theBengal Basin is directly related to the origin
and morphology of the Indo-Gangetic trough,which itself is overlaid and filled by sediments
thousandsofmetersthick.

The

broad

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladeshgeological features of the Bengal Basin and its prominent tectonic elements are Indian
platform, Bengal foredeep, Arakan Yoma folded system, and the Sub-Himalayan Foredeep.
Other features are Rangpur Saddle, Dinajpur slope, Bogra slope, Hinge Zone, Barisal High,and Troughs of Sylhet, Faridpur and Hatiya, etc.
Climate:Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate characterized by wide seasonal variations inrainfall, high temperatures, and high humidity. Regional climatic differences in this flat
country are minor. Three seasons are generally recognized: a hot, muggy summer fromMarch to June; a hot, humid andrainy monsoon season from June
to November; and a warm-hot, dry
winterfromFebruary.In
summerDecembergeneral,tomaximum

temperatures

range

between 38 and 41 °C (100.4 and105.8 °F). April is the hottest
month in most parts of the country.
January is the coolest month,when the average temperature formost of the country is 16–20 °C(61–68 °F) during the day andaround 10 °C (50 °F) at night.
Winds are mostly from the northand northwest in the winter,blowing gently at 1 to 3 kilometers
per hour (0.6 to 1.9 mph) innorthern and central areas and 3
to 6 kilometers per hour (1.9 to
3.7 mph) near the coast. From March to May, violent thunderstorms, called northwesters by
local English speakers, produce winds of up to 60 kilometers per hour (37.3 mph). During
the intense storms of the early summer and late monsoon season, southerly winds of morethan 160 kilometers per hour (99.4 mph) cause waves to crest as high as 6 meters (19.7 ft)
in the Bay of Bengal, which brings disastrous flooding to coastal areas. The annual rainfall isabout 1,600 mm (63.0 in), most parts of the country receive at least 2,300 mm (90.6 in) ofrainfall per year. About 80% of Bangladesh's rain falls during the monsoon season.

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Administrative Divisions:
Bangladesh is divided into seven administrative divisions, named Barisal, Chittagong,
Dhaka, Khulna. Divisions are subdivided into districts (zila).
There

are

64

districts

inBangladesh,eachfurther

subdivided

intoupazilla(subdistricts)

or thana.

Thearea within each police station,
except

for

those

in

metropolitan areas, is divided
into several unions, with each
union consisting of multiple
villages. In the metropolitan
areas,

policestationsaredivided into wards, which arefurther divided into mahallas.
There are no elected officials at
the divisional or district levels,
and

the

administrationiscomposed only of government
officials. Direct elections areheld for each union (or ward),
electing a chairperson and anumber of members. In 1997, aparliamentary act was passed
to reserve three seats (out of 12) in every union for female candidates. There are 07 largecity corporation in Bangladesh. Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh.

Population:
The population of Bangladesh is about 170 million and it is the 8th most populous nation in
the world. It is also the most densely populated country in the world. Bangladesh's
population growth rate is 1.56 whereas population growth rate was among the highest in theworld in the 1960s and 1970s. Life expectancy at birth is estimated to be 70 years for bothmales and females in 2012. The overwhelming majority of Bangladeshis are Bengali,
constituting 98% of the population. The remainder is mostly Biharis and indigenous tribal

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladeshgroups. The tribal peoples are concentrated in the Chittagong in the southeast. There are 45
tribal groups located in this region, the largest being the Chakma. Islam is the largest
religion of Bangladesh; Islam contributing 90.4% of population, Hinduism is contributing
8.2%

of

the

population,

Buddhism contributing 0.7%of the population, Christianitywith 0.6% and others of
0.1%

of

the

population.

Bangladesh

hasalow literacy rate, estimatedat 61.3% for males and
52.2%

for

females2010. Theineducational

system in Bangladesh isthree-tiered

andhighlysubsidized. The governmentofBangladesh

operates

many schools in the primary,secondary,andhighersecondary levels. It also
subsidizes

parts

of

the

funding for many private schools. In the tertiary education sector, the government also funds
more than 15 state universities through the University Grants Commission.

Economy:Bangladesh is a developing nation. However, the poverty rate has declined by 25% since
1990, and per-capita GDP has doubled from 1975 levels. Dhaka and Chittagong, thecountry's two largest cities, as well as other urban centers, have been the driving force
behind much of the recent growth. Goldman Sachs named it one of the "Next Eleven"
Bangladesh gradually decreased its dependency on foreign grants and loans from 85% (In1988) to 2% (In 2010) for its annual development budget. Its per capita income as of 2013 is
US$1,044 compared to the world average of $8,985. The Central Bank of Bangladesh
projected GDP growth around 6.5%. Bangladesh has seen a dramatic increase in foreign
direct investment. In order to enhance economic growth, the government set up several
export processing zones to attract foreign investment. These are managed by the
Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority. More than three-quarters of Bangladesh’s
export earnings come from the garment industry in 2005. The industry began attracting

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

foreign investors in the 1980s because of cheap labour and low conversion cost. In 2011–12
fiscal years the industry exported US$18 billion worth of products where in 2002 theexported amount was US$5 billion. Bangladesh has been ranked as the 4th largest clothingexporter by the WTO (The World Trade Organization) whereas; according to The
Economist Bangladesh is the world’s third-largest clothes-export industry. The industry now
employs

more

than

3 million workers, 90% ofwhom are women.
Rice is the dominant crop
(over 70 per cent of thetotal value of agricultural
production). Other crops
includewheat,

sugar

cane,

jute,
pulses,spices, tea, and various
fruitsandvegetables.

According to FAOSTAT, Bangladesh is one of world's largest producers of fisheries (5th),
rice (4th), potato (11th), mango (9th), pineapple (16th), tropical Fruit (5th), onion (16th),
banana (17th), jute (2nd), tea (11th).

Art and Culture:Bangladesh is a melting pot of races. She, therefore, has a mixed culture. Her deep rooted
heritage is amply reflected in her architecture, literature, dance, drama, music and painting.
Bangladeshi

cultureis influenced by threegreat

religions-Hinduism, Buddhism
and

Islam

successiveinorder,

with Islam having themost pervading andlasting impact. Like acolorful montage, thecultural tradition ofthe

countryisahappy blending of many variants, unique in diversity but in essence greatly symmetrical.

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Bengali Traditional
Dance in the New
Year Festival

Ahsan Monzil, aHistorical Architecture
By Muslim Nawab

Bengali Traditional
Handicraft
NokhshiKatha

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

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 the world 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 eastern area, natural hazards increase the vulnerability of
the coastal dwellers.

Disasters and Bangladesh• Flood• Tropical Cyclone• Storm Surge• Tornado• River Bank Erosion• Drought• Earthquake

Key factors of vulnerability• Geographical location• Dominance of flood plains• Low elevation from the sea• Global warming & climatechange• High population density• High level of poverty
Flood:
Floods are annual phenomena, with the most severe occurring during the months of Julyand August. Regular river floods affect 20% of the country, increasing up to 68% in extreme
years. The floods of 1988, 1998, 2004 and 2007 were particularly catastrophic, resulting inlarge-scale destruction and loss of lives.

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Flash floods caused by overflowing of hilly rivers in eastern and northern Bangladesh (inApril-May and September-November).
Rain floods caused by drainage congestion and heavy rains.
Monsoon floods caused by major rivers usually in the monsoon (during
June-September).
Coastal floods caused by storm surges.
The 1998 flood lasted for 65 days
from July 12 to September 14 andaffected about 67% of area of thecountry.

In

the

year

2000,

Bangladesh faced an unusual
flood over its usually flood-freesouth western plain, which also
caused loss of life and massive
damage to property. In 2004,
floods inundated about 38% of
the country. About 747 people
lost

their lives. About

2,500

kilometers of embankment weredamaged and about 74 primaryschool buildings were washed
away.

This

economic
US$2,200

flood

lossescausedofMillion.

about
Floodscontinue to be major hazards in
Bangladesh.
Table: Flood, 2007
Affected District

39

Affected Upazila
Affected Union,
Affected Pourashava

256
205
767

Families affected at present

22,86,564

Affected People

1,06,55,145

Death (drowning, snake bite etc)

554

Households (Full)

62,956

Households (Partial)

8,81,922

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Tomitigatetheimpacts of floods, thegovernment has beendeveloping

andimplementing various
measurestobetterequip the country todeal with floods. The
Ministry

of

Water

Resources (MoWR) is
leading the country on flood mitigation initiatives. Important initiatives include Flood
Action Plan, Flood Hydrology Study, Flood Management Model Study, National Water
Management Plan, National Water Policy, Flood Early Warning System Study, etc.

Tropical cyclone:
Tropical cyclones from the Bay of Bengal accompanied by storm surges are one of the
major disasters in Bangladesh.
The country is one of the worst
sufferers of all cyclonic casualties
intheworld.

Numberofcasualties is due to the fact that
cyclones are always associatedwith storm surges. Storm surgeheight in excess of 9m is notuncommon in this region. For
example, the 1876 cyclone had
a surge height of 13.6 m and in1970 the height was 9.11 m. In
fact, the 1970 cyclone is thedeadliest cyclone that has hit
Bangladesh coastline. With awind-speed of about 224 km per
hour

and

associatedstormsurge of 6.1 to 9.11m, it was
responsible for deaths of about
300,000 people.

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Table 1: Major cyclones that hit the Bangladesh coast
Maximum Wind
speed (km/hr)

Date

11 May15 December
01 October
12 November
25 May29 April
19 May15 November (SIDR)
25 May (AILA)

1965
1965
1966
1970
1985
1991
1997
2007
2009
2012

161
217
139
224
154
225
232
223
92
130

16 May (Mahasen)
Source: Bangladesh Meteorological Department 2013

Storm Surge height(metres)

3.7-7.6
2.4-3.6
6.0-6.7
6.0-10.0
3.0-4.6
6.0-7.6
3.1-4.6
4.2-4.6---

Death Toll

19,279873
850
300,000
11,069138,882
155
3363
190
16

Government Immediate Response:
The Government, in coordination with NGOs and international organizations, has done
a commendable job in responding to the cyclone emergency and assisting the affected

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladeshpopulation. The MoDMR activated emergency response committees at the District,
Upazilla, and Union levels and established an operations center in Dhaka to coordinate
relief activities. Military personnel were deployed to assist with rescue operations andthe distribution of food and relief services. It may pointed out that due to the increase in
the number of population and the cattle heads, it has become essential to construct atleast 2,000 of disaster shelters & killas in the coastal areas. The Ministry of Primary &Mass Education has taken up a programme under the project title "Primary Education
Development Programme-2 (PEDP-2)" to construct 507 schools-cum-shelters in the
coastal areas. It is expected that the others Ministries, Divisions, Organizations andNGOs will also construct about 300 shelters. Considering this, the MoDMR has decided
toconstructtheremaining

1,200

disastershelters

andkillas

as

per

the

recommendations of the reports of the technical committee.
Cyclone Shelter Location Map:

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Tornado:
The two transitional periods between southwest and northeast monsoons over the
Indian sub-continent are characterized by local severe storms. The transitional periods
are usually referred to as pre-monsoon (March-May), and post-monsoon (OctoberNovember). It is the pre-monsoon period when most of the abnormal rainfall or drought
conditions frequently occur in different parts of Bangladesh. Also there are severe local
seasonal storms, popularly known as nor’westers (kalbaishakhi). Severe nor’westers
are generally associated with tornadoes. Tornadoes are embedded within a motherthundercloud, and moves along the direction of the squall of the mother storm. The
frequency of devastating nor’westers usually reaches the maximum in April, while a
few occur in May, and the minimum in March. Nor’westers and tornadoes are more
frequent in the afternoon. Nor’westers may occur in late February due to early
withdrawal of winter from Bangladesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and adjoining
areas. The occasional occurrence of nor’westers in early June is due to the delay in theonset of the southwest monsoon over the region.
Table: The devastating nor’westers and tornadoes that hit Bangladesh:
14 April 1969
17 April 1973
10 April 1974
11 April 1974
09 May 1976
01 April 1977
26 April 1989
14 May 1993
13 May 1996
04 May 2003
21 March 2005
22 March 2013

Demra (Dhaka)
Manikganj (Dhaka)
Faridpur
Bogra
Narayanganj
Faridpur
Saturia (Manikganj)Southern Bangladesh
Tangail
Brahmanbaria
Gaibandha
Brahmanbaria

Wind speeds in nor’westers usually do not exceed 113-130 km/hr (70-80 miles/hr),though often their speeds exceed 162 km/hr (100 miles/hr). When the winds become
whirling with funnel shaped clouds having a speed of several hundred kilometers or
miles per hour, they are called tornados. Nor’westers bring the much-needed
pre-monsoon rain. They can also cause a lot of havoc and destruction. Tornados are
suddenly formed and are extremely localized in nature and of brief duration. Thus, it isvery difficult to locate them or forecast their occurrence with the techniques available
at present. However, high-resolution satellite pictures, suitable radar, and a network of

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladeshdensely spaced meteorological observatories could be useful for the prediction or for
issuing warnings of nor’westers and tornados.

River Bank Erosion:River

erosionin

Bangladesh is no lessdangerous

than

other

sudden and devastating
calamities. Losses due toriver erosion occur slowly
andgradually.

lossesareThoughslow

andgradual, they are more
destructive

andfar-reaching than other sudden and devastating calamities. The effects of rivererosion are long-term. It takes a few decades to make up the losses, which a family
has incurred by river erosion. There
has been little progress, however, for
improving the lives of erosion-affected
people due to resource constraint.
This is an ongoing disaster and there isno specific indicator to measure theextent of damage. So the extent ofdamage caused by river erosion in
most

cases

is

based

on

variousreports/information. Needless to say
whatever the difference in ascertaining
the extent of damage river erosion
causeshuge

throughout“World

the

loss

of

property

year. According

Disaster

Reportto

2001”

published by IFRCS every year about
10,00,000 people are affected by river erosion and 9,000 hectare cultivable lands arebanished in river. Among these only a few affected people are able to find new shelters
while others become homeless for uncertain period. A recent study of CEGIS (2005)

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

shows that bank erosion along Padma River during 1973 – 2004 was 29,390 hectares andalong Jamuna River during 1973 – 2004, it was 87,790 hectares.

Droughts:
Drought conditions due to deficiency in rainfall affect different parts of Bangladesh mostly
duringthepre-monsoon

post-monsoon

periods.

andBetween1949 and 1991, droughts occurredinBangladesh

24times.

Verysevere droughts hit the country in
1951, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1972, 1975,
1979, 1981, 1982, 1984 and 1989.
Past

droughts

havetypicallyaffected about 47% area of thecountry and 53% of the population(WARPO, 2005). Bangladesh faces unpredictable drought hazard in the dry monsoon due
to inadequate and uneven rainfall. It varies from place to place, however, and thenorthwestern region suffers most from the drought. As much as 17% of the Aman crops, themain paddy crops in the wet season may be lost in a typical year due to drought.

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Earthquake:
The historical seismic data of Bangladesh and adjoining areas indicate that Bangladesh isvulnerable to earthquake hazard. The record of approximately 150 years shows that
Bangladesh and the surrounding regions experienced seven major earthquakes (with Mb =7). In the recent past, a number of tremors of moderate to severe intensity had already takenplace in and around Bangladesh. The Sylhet Earthquake (Mb = 5.6) of May 8, 1997, theBandarban Earthquake (Mb = 6.0) of November 21, 1997, the Moheshkhali Earthquake (Mb= 5.1) of July 22, 1999, the Barkal (Rangamati) Earthquake (Mb=5.5) of July 27, 2003, theMeghalay Earthquake (Mb=5.2) of March 02, 2013 and many more shakes in the recent
years may be cited as examples. Bangladesh and the northeastern Indian states have long
been one of the seismically active regions of the world, and have experienced numerous
large earthquakes during the past 200 years. Many of seismic-tectonic studies have been
undertaken on the area comprising the Indo-Burman ranges and their western extension
and in the northern India. Major active fault zones of the country have been delineatedthrough geological trenching and dating methods. A seismic zoning map of Bangladesh has

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladeshbeen proposed in 1979 by Geological
Survey of Bangladesh (GSB) dividing
the country into three seismic zone
which was accompanied by an outlineof a code for earthquake resistantdesign. Later, a new updated seismic
zoning map and detailed seismic
designprovisions

have

been

incorporated in Bangladesh National
Building

Code

(BNBC

1993).

A

seismicity map of Bangladesh and its
adjoiningareas

prepared

by

has

also

been

BMD

and

GSB.

Bangladesh has been classified into
three seismic zones with zone-3 themost and zone-1 the least vulnerable
to seismic risks.
Table 5: List of Major Earthquakes Affecting Bangladesh
Epicentral
Epicentral
Epicentral
Distance from Distance from Distance
Dhaka (km)Sylhet City
from
(km)
Chittagong
(km)

Name

Magnitude(Richter)

CacharEarthquake

7.5

250

70

280

BengalEarthquake
Great Indian
12 June, 1897
Earthquake
Srimongal
8 July, 1918
Earthquake

7.0

170

220

350

8.7

230

80

340

7.6

150

60

200

DhubriEarthquake
Bihar-Nepal
Earthquake

7.1

250

275

415

8.3

510

530

580

8.5

780

580

540

Date

10 January,
1869
14 July, 1885

2 July, 1930
15 January,
1934
15 August,
1950

Assam
Earthquake

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Recent Major Disasters:
Cyclone Aila (May 2009)
Cyclone

Aila

hit

the

Bangladesh on Monday 25
May 2009 and has produced
substantial

damageacrossareas of southern Bangladesh.
It

causeddeaths,190

injuries

immediate
to

7,103

people and more than 500,000
people to become homeless.
The total damage was $ 1.7
billion.

Cyclone Sidr (November 2007)
Cyclone Sidr hit thecoastal areas on 15
November2007.

affectedIt

87,000people, killed 3,363
andinjured55,282and 564,000 homes
have been destroyed,
8,85,280 houses havebeen damaged. Total
damage and losses
were

(in

USD)

23

billion.

Cyclone (April 1991)
On April 29, 1991, a cyclone struck the country of Bangladesh, causing a massive storm
surge and widespread flooding. Approximately 138,000 people perished in this disaster.

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Although cyclones frequently
hit this region of the world,
this cyclone was one of thestrongest hurricanes in recent
history. The 270 km/hr windspeed caused a 6 meter highstorm surge that flooded alarge area of the country. The
total damage was $ 1.5 billion.
Cyclone (November 1970)
The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck Bangladesh on
November 12, 1970. It
remains the deadliest
tropical cyclone everrecorded, and one ofthe deadliest natural
disastersinmoderntimes. The 34.8 foot(10.6

meter)

storm

surge

causedthehighest tropical cyclone
death toll in history,
about 300,000 people were killed. Two hundred and fifty miles of coastline on the Bay of
Bengal was devastated and homes, crops, cattle and poultry, everything washed away. The
total damage was US$24 billion.

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Disaster Management System in Bangladesh:
A series of inter-related institutions, at both national and sub-national levels have beencreated for disaster management. As per the Rules of Business of the Government of
Bangladesh, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR) is mandated toformulate policies, prepare plans, and monitor and coordinate all aspects of disaster
activities. The field level activities of MoDMR are carried out by two subordinate offices e.g.
the Department of Disaster Management and Cyclone Preparedness Centre (CPP), While
DDM is responsible for dissemination of all information on natural disasters, including flood
information at community level, flood preparedness, awareness raising and capacity
building activities, and also is responsible for conducting relief and rehabilitating operations
with the help of district and upazila administrations.

The Ministry issued the Standing Orders on Disaster (SOD) in January 1997 to guide andmonitor disaster management activities in Bangladesh. The SOD has been prepared forconcerned persons to understand their duties and responsibilities regarding disastermanagement. All Ministries, Divisions/Departments and Agencies shall prepare their own

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Action Plans in respect of their responsibilities under the Standing Orders for efficient
implementation. The National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) and Inter-Ministerial
Disaster Management Coordination Committee (IMDMCC) will ensure coordination ofdisaster related activities at the National level. Coordination at District, Thana and Unionlevels will be done by the respective District, Thana and Union Disaster Management
Committees. The Disaster Management Bureau will render all assistance to them byfacilitating the process. A series of inter-related institutions, at both national andsub-national levels have been created to ensure effective planning and coordination ofdisaster risk reduction and emergency response management.
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 civilsociety are undertaken. The regulative framework provides the relevant legislative, policy
and best practice framework under which the activity of Disaster Risk Reduction andEmergency Response Management in Bangladesh is managed and implemented. The
framework is comprised of:Disaster Management Act
The Disaster Management Act creates the legislative framework under which disaster risk
reduction and emergency response management is undertaken in Bangladesh, and the legal
basis in which activities and actions are managed. It also creates mandatory obligations andresponsibilities on Ministries, committees and appointments.
National Disaster Management Policy
The National Disaster Management Policy defines the national policy on disaster risk
reduction and emergency response management. and describes the strategic policy
framework, and national principles of disaster management in Bangladesh. It is strategic innature and describes the broad national objectives, and strategies in disaster management.
National Plan for Disaster Management ( 2010-15 )The National Plan for Disaster Management defines in broad
outline the systemic and institutional mechanisms under which
disaster risk reduction and emergency response management
is undertaken in Bangladesh. It outlines disaster management
vision, strategic goals and conceptual framework. It establishes
disaster management regulative and planning frameworks, andidentifies priority areas for disaster risk reduction andemergency response management

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Standing Orders on Disaster (SOD)The Standing Orders on Disaster outlines the disastermanagement arrangements in Bangladesh and describes
the detailed roles and responsibilities of committees,
Ministries, Departments and other organizations involved indisasterrisk

reductionandemergency

responsemanagement, and establishes the necessary actions
requiredin

implementing

Bangladesh’s

DisasterManagement Model, e.g., defining the risk environment,
managing the risk environment, and responding to the threat
environment.
Website Links:
The Disaster Management Act ;National Plan for Disaster Management (2010-15);
Standing Orders on Disaster (SOD);
Emergency Preparedness Plan for Cyclone &Earthquake Preparedness Measures.

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

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, watersupply, health etc.
The disaster vulnerable people demonstrates strong coping capacity to face the disasterchallenges.

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 of the MODMR:
To bring a paradigm shift in disaster management from conventional response andrelief to a more comprehensive 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)

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

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 theUpazila level

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

Union Disaster Management Committee (UDMC) headed by the Chairman of the Union
Parishad to co-ordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities of
the concerned union
Pourashava Disaster Management Committee (PDMC) headed by Chairman ofPourashava (municipality) to co-ordinate, review and implement the disastermanagement activities within its area of jurisdiction
City Corporation Disaster Management Committee (CCDMC) headed by the Mayor ofCity Corporations to co-ordinate, review and implement the disaster management
activities within its area of jurisdiction.

National Institutions for Disaster Management:
Department of Disaster Management (DDM)
DDM is designed as a small dynamic professionals unit at national level to perform
specialised functions in the field of disaster preparedness, local disaster action planning,
contingency planning, raising public awareness, training and facilitating improved disaster
information flows. DDM works under MODMR and overviews and coordinates all activities
related to disaster management from the national level down to the grass-roots level. DDM
is committed to enhancing regular dialogues and fostering co-operation in practical disaster
preparedness matters ‘before, during and after’ a disaster between all levels of government,
donors, non-government organisations, community groups and others. DDM’s main strength
is the mandate and authority for dissemination of early warning of different disasters. DDM
has a total of 48 technical professionals stationed at their head office in Dhaka. It has a vast
network under its authority through a standing order.
Currently, DDM is working on cyclone and flood information warning dissemination, but it
has plans to extend its dissemination activities to other disasters. A process of hazard
mapping is also under consideration. A website (http://www.ddm.gov.bd) is currently
available with only static historic information, but it could be made dynamic for updating withearly warnings like the FFWC website.

Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP)

Community Based Early warning through devoted volunteers.
A Joint Venture Program of GOB & BDRCS.

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: BangladeshTo minimize loss of lives and properties in cyclonic disaster by strengthening thecapacity in disaster management of the coastal people of Bangladesh.
Covers 13 districts and 37 Upazilas (Sub-District).
Total Volunteers: 49,215

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 andTsunami Preparedness , Climate Change and Research.
Strengthening Emergency Response Capabilities: DMIC and Response Management.
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.

Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO)SPARRSO acts as the centre of excellence and national focal point for the peacefulapplications of space science, remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) in
Bangladesh. SPARRSO also advises the government in all matters relating to spacetechnology applications and policies. SPARRSO maintains close collaboration with national,
regional and international organizations, institutions and agencies and disseminates
research results, satellite data and information to the relevant public, autonomous and

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladeshprivate agencies for their development and policy-making activities. SPARRSO’s mandate
includes monitoring and research on environmental issues. For this purpose they receive
images daily to observe weather patterns and floods and prepare flood reports including
flood maps showing flood-affected areas.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD)
BMD is the government organization authorized for all meteorological activities in the
country. It maintains a network of surface and upper air observation stations, radar andsatellite stations, agro-meteorological observation stations, geomagnetic and seismologicalobservation stations and meteorological telecommunication system. BMD contributes toflood forecasting and warnings by preparing short/medium and long term weather forecasts,
3-hourly surface charts, 6 and 12-hourly upper air charts, heavy rainfall warnings, andspecial weather bulletins with storm surge information. BMD is the only government
authorized organization mandated to issue all sorts of weather forecast and record
meteorological observations (surface and upper air) in Bangladesh. BMD has been affiliatedto the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) since 1972.
FFWC is a division of the Directorate of Processing and Forecasting, under the Chief
Engineer, Hydrology. Together FFWC, Surface Water Hydrology (SWH) and Construction
and Instrumentation (C&I) undertake the transmission and processing of data for flood
forecasting and warning services. It maintains a strong institutional network fordisseminating flood forecasts at national level.
Other Institutions for Disaster Management:
Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS)CEGIS is a Public Trust organization under the Ministry of Water Resources and functions
under a Board of Trustees chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources onbehalf of the government. CEGIS works in the fields of initial environment examination,
environmental impact assessment, disaster management modelling, natural resource andrisk management, GIS/RS mapping, and survey. CEGIS serves government andnon-government organizations. CEGIS has developed several disaster and warning related
tools including a Community Based Flood Information System (CFIS); an Environmental
Monitoring Information Network (EMIN); and a Climate Forecast Application Network

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

(CFAN). Currently, CEGIS is in the process of development/acquiring technology for aregional basin flood forecast modeling for use in Bangladesh. Also, CEGIS has started toacquire knowledge on urban and flash flood forecasting.
An operational pilot system was developed to produce daily flood monitoring and forecast
maps for use at the community level under Community Flood Information System (CFIS).
CFIS project was designed as a pilot operational system to produce accurate and timely
information on current and forecasted flood conditions for a floodplain community by using
easy understandable mobile SMS. This created an important opportunity for low-cost,reliable, and deeply penetrating dissemination of flood forecasts for vulnerable communities.
CEGIS has developed a methodology for predicting the morphology process and bankerosion along the Jamuna, Ganges and Padma Rivers based on space-based technology.
The methodology makes it possible to predict morphological development and bank erosion
one to two years ahead.

The Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM)
IWFM is a research institute of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology(BUET). Its mandate includes conducting research on floods focusing on integrated water
management, organizing seminars and workshops related to floods, and offering a post
graduate diploma in Water Resources Development.
Institute for Water Modelling (IWM)
IWM is an institute of learning and research in the fields of water modelling, computational
hydraulics and allied sciences established as a Public Trust under the ministry of Water
Resources. IWM activities in flood forecasting and warning include the collection of real timehydrometric data for running flood forecasting and inundation models; annually updating
and validating the forecasting models; providing technical backstopping and training to
FFWC; assisting FFWC to expand into new areas; developing dynamic flood inundation
models (MIKE FLOOD) and issuing medium (10 days) flood predictions based on climate
forecasts produced by the CFAB project.

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: BangladeshImplementation of Hyogo Framework in Bangladesh:

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

RECENT DRR PROJECTS
Construction of Bridges/Culverts (up to12m long)
Construction of Cyclone resistance Houses
Procurement of Equipment for Search and Rescue operation on Earthquake and otherdisasters.
Development of Community Volunteers
Construction of Flood and Cyclone Shelter
Comprehensive Disaster Management Program ( CDMP ) Phase 2
Inundation Map/Risk Map for storm Surges
Cyclone shelter Data Base
Micro-zonation Map for greater districts
Disaster Management Information center ( DMIC )Mobile Communication for early warning by Cell Broadcasting System (CBS ) , SMS
and Interactive Voice Response ( IVR )ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh

ADRC Counterpart:
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief

People’s Republic of the Government of Bangladesh.
Phone: +880-2-9540877
Fax: +880-2-9545405
E-mail: info@modmr.gov.bd
sasreliefprog1@modmr.gov.bd
Website: www.modmr.gov.bd

References: (Published and Unpublished)
1.

The Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief, Government of thePeople’s Republic of Bangladesh, 2013, National Plan for Disaster
Management ( 2010-2015 ).

2.

The Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief, Government of thePeople’s Republic of Bangladesh, 2013, Standing Orders on
Disaster (SOD).

3.

World Bank Annual Report, 2012.

4.

UNDP Bangladesh, PPRC, 2011, Social Safety Nets in Bangladesh.

5.

http://www.preventionweb.net/english/countries

6.

www.adrc.asia

7.

www.modmr.gov.bd

8.

www.cdmp.org

9.

http://www.ddm.gov.bd/publication.php

10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/bangladesh

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY2013B, Country Report: Bangladesh