A discussion meeting held at the conference room of the Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner's Office to mark National Disaster Preparedness Day 2026. Photo: BSS

RAJSHAHI, March 10, 2026 (BSS) - Speakers at a discussion here today stressed the need to prevent not only natural disasters but also disasters caused by human activities, warning that the latter could have serious consequences for society in the future.

They said disasters were once commonly associated with cyclones, pandemics, floods, desertification, water scarcity in rivers, lack of irrigation water and food shortages.

However, they noted that a lack of proper education and moral values among people could also lead to serious human-induced disasters that would affect society in the long run.

The observations were made at a discussion meeting held at the conference room of the Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner's Office to mark National Disaster Preparedness Day 2026.

The theme of this year's observance is "We will fight through disaster preparedness and build a youthful Bangladesh."

Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Afia Akhter addressed the meeting as the chief guest, while Rajshahi District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Abdul Hai Sarkar chaired the programme.

Among others, Additional Deputy Commissioner Sabur Ali, Deputy Director of the Rajshahi District Information Office Nafeala Nasrin, District Primary Education Officer Anwar Hossain and Senior Station Officer of Rajshahi Fire Service and Civil Defence Enayet Ul Haque also spoke at the event.

Representatives of the Rajshahi Red Crescent and students from different educational institutions were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Afia Akhter said the growing addiction of children to the internet has become a modern human-induced disaster, as it has far-reaching impacts on morality, behaviour and social values.

She stressed the need to address the moral crisis prevailing in society, saying that the absence of moral values often leads people to commit unethical acts such as adulterating food with harmful substances. "These are also disasters that must be prevented," she said.

Highlighting the importance of public awareness alongside government initiatives, the deputy commissioner said disaster preparedness and mitigation require both institutional support and active participation from citizens.

She said the government provides corrugated tin sheets and Tk 5,000 in financial assistance to citizens as part of disaster preparedness and mitigation measures.

"Although the government is providing such support within its capacity, it alone is not sufficient. People must also remain aware," she said, adding that increased public awareness can help reduce the impacts of natural disasters to some extent.

Afia Akhter also warned that the current period is particularly risky in terms of fire hazards, noting that fire incidents can occur anywhere, including in offices.

She also mentioned that earthquakes are occurring in different parts of the country, sometimes originating within the country itself.

In this regard, she stressed the importance of ensuring knowledge about safe exits and evacuation routes in buildings and conducting regular drills, particularly for schoolchildren.

Earlier in the morning, a colourful rally was brought out in the city marking the day, organised by the Rajshahi district administration and implemented by the Department of Disaster Management.

Following the discussion, a team from Rajshahi Fire Service and Civil Defence conducted a fire drill demonstration on disaster preparedness.