Agargaon: Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu has emphasized that ensuring equal facilities for all citizens is crucial to building a nation centered on the principle of ‘Bangladesh First’ (Sobar Agey Bangladesh). ‘The Constitution, achieved through the Great War of Liberation, provides equal opportunities for all citizens,’ he stated during a programme organized by the ‘Promoting Person with Disability Friendly Inclusive Climate Justice Resilience Practices’ (ICJRP) at the Department of Disaster Management in Agargaon in the capital this afternoon.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the minister highlighted that persons with disabilities should not be viewed as marginal stakeholders in disaster management but as partners with equal rights. He underscored the necessity for infrastructure, planning, and disaster management systems to be developed with their needs and capabilities in mind.
The minister addressed the critical need for all cyclone centers and disaster shelters in the country to be made disability-friendly. He stressed the importance of equipping these facilities with wheelchair-accessible ramps, wide entrances, disability-friendly toilets, safe mobility arrangements, separate and secure accommodation facilities, and necessary assistive equipment.
Furthermore, he pointed out the need for disaster early warning messages to be easily comprehensible and disseminated through multiple media channels, accommodating hearing, visual, and other types of disabilities. Director General of the Department of Disaster Management Rezwanur Rahman and CPRD Chief Executive Md Shamsuddoha were among those who addressed the programme.