Narayanganj: A total of 12 rescue speedboats, provided with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), have been handed over to the deputy commissioners of 12 disaster-prone coastal districts to further strengthen the country’s disaster response capacity. The speedboats were handed over under the Disaster Risk Management Enhancement Project (DRMEP), said a press release here today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the ceremony was held at the Golden Fiberglass Conference Room in Narayanganj. Notable attendees included Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, MP, State Minister M Iqbal Hossain, MP, lawmaker Abul Kalam, Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam, Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi, and Director General (DG) of the Department of Disaster Management Rezwanur Rahman.
The rescue speedboats will be utilized for disaster response in several districts, including Barishal, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Bhola, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Cox’s Bazar, Khulna, Barguna, Jhalokathi, Chattogram, and Noakhali. They will aid in emergency communication, search and rescue operations, and disaster response during floods, cyclones, tidal surges, and other natural disasters.
JICA Bangladesh Office Chief Representative Takahashi Junko noted that the rescue boats, provided with JICA assistance, played an effective role in emergency rescue operations during the flash floods in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar last July. She emphasized that the new boats would enhance the capacity for rapid response during disasters and help ensure the safety of vulnerable communities.
As part of ongoing cooperation in disaster response under the project, there are plans to distribute 43 more shallow-water rescue speedboats in flood-prone districts and upazilas in the northern and north-eastern regions of the country. These areas include Sunamganj, Habiganj, Sylhet, Netrakona, and Jamalpur, among other flood-prone areas.
The initiative aims to further strengthen emergency rescue and disaster response capacity in response to recent years’ floods and the growing disaster risks caused by climate change.