Dhaka: Better known for its natural disasters globally, Bangladesh still stands fifth among the top disaster risk countries in the world, according to ActionAid Bangladesh.
The South-Africa based NGO said the risk potentials were discussed at both academic and public domain, but pragmatic steps have yet to be taken from policy level to minimize the risks and reduce post-disaster casualties.
"We don't want to see tangible initiatives after disasters and losing hundreds of lives," Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh Farah Kabir said at a seminar on "Quake Preparedness and Response: Lickings and Reality" held at BRAC Centre in city.
Her colleague, Nasir Uddin, added: the risks of disaster casualties in Bangladesh has been growing due to massive urbanization and growing population. The rural-urban population, he said, would be fifty-fifty by next 15 years and a massive earthquake would cost thousands of lives in cities.
Professor Mehedi Ahmed Ansari of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) said the disaster risks could be minimized by 90 percent in urban areas provided the 'building code' was strictly implemented. The risk assessment for existing buildings is also essential, he added.