A discussion meeting, prayers, and munajat were held in Bhola on Thursday to commemorate the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives in the devastating cyclone and storm surge of November 12, 1970. The event took place at the Bhola District Council auditorium, organized by the district council.
Speakers at the event demanded that November 12 be officially declared as ‘Coastal Day’ by the government. They also called for the construction of a permanent memorial in Bhola in memory of the victims, preservation of the coastal green belt, and more effective disaster preparedness measures.
Concerns over Green Belt Preservation
Mubashwir Ullah Chowdhury, president of the Bhola district unit of Sujan (Citizens for Good Governance), said the green belt created to protect the coast after the 1970 storm surge is now under threat. "Those trees are now being cut down for use in brick kilns and as household fuel," he said.
He proposed ensuring that Bhola's gas is utilized within Bhola itself. According to him, providing gas connections to brick kilns and households would reduce tree cutting and help preserve the coastal forest.
Emphasis on Disaster Preparedness
Speakers noted that the lessons from the catastrophic 1970 cyclone must be applied to develop sustainable disaster management plans. They stressed the need to strengthen early warning systems and increase the number of cyclone shelters to protect the lives and property of coastal communities.
The devastating cyclone and storm surge that struck the coastal areas of then-East Pakistan on November 12, 1970, claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. There has been a long-standing demand to recognize the day as ‘Coastal Day’ to preserve the memory of this historic natural disaster and enhance the disaster resilience of coastal residents.
