Published: 12:24 AM, 16 June 2026
Law and standing orders on disaster management should be reviewed: Muhit
State Minister for Health Dr. M.A. Muhit has said that the role and responsibilities of the Health Ministry during disasters are not clearly defined in the country's existing Disaster Management Act and the Standing Orders on Disaster, and therefore these frameworks should be reviewed.He made the remarks on Monday while addressing a roundtable discussion titled "Disasters, Climate Change and Urban Health" at a hotel in Banani, Dhaka.
Dr. Muhit said that Dhaka is the center of the country's 200 million people. In the event of a major earthquake, hospitals in the capital could collapse, while electricity and water supply systems could become inoperative. Under such circumstances, if communication networks are disrupted, providing emergency rescue operations and medical services would become extremely challenging. Emphasizing the need for legal reforms, Dr. Muhit said that the existing disaster management laws should be reviewed. He added that if lawyers, public health experts, and engineers jointly provide specific recommendations for updating the law, the government will take prompt initiatives to implement them through consultations with the Ministries of Health, Disaster Management and Relief, and Law. At the event, he also called for the formation of a volunteer force comprising millions of young people to address earthquake risks in Dhaka and stressed the importance of providing them with professional training. The State Minister further noted that Bangladesh has extensive experience in disaster management. He said that more field research centers should be established in rural flood-prone areas through both government and private initiatives. Such measures, he added, would enable Bangladesh to become an international hub for disaster management, allowing other countries to learn from its experiences. The program was organized by the Bangladesh Urban Health Network. Among others, DAB Secretary General Dr. Zahirul Islam Shakil and UNICEF Health Chief Dr. Malai Ahmadzai also spoke at the event.
