The government has finalised the draft of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on disaster relief management for signing during the upcoming India visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from October 3-6 this year.

This MoU, along wth other at least 10 other agreements and MoUs, was finalised in an inter-ministerial meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Tuesday, sources in the ministry of disaster management and relief said.

PM’s economic affairs adviser Dr. Mashiur Rahman presided over the meeting.

“The authorities concerned of both Bangladesh and India have drafted the MoU on disaster relief management and both sides have almost finalised it through a long discussion,” additional secretary (planing and development) of ministry of disaster management and relief Md. Faizur Rahman told The Independent yesterday.

“Now, we can say that the proposed MoU is almost ready. We are hoping to place the draft MoU during the PM’s India visit and it is likely to be signed,” he said.

Senior secretary of the ministry of disaster management and relief Md. Shah Kamal told this correspondent that both Bangladesh and India would benefit from the signing of the proposed MoU.

“We will be able to share and exchange information and technology on disaster management to address risk factors during disasters,” he said.

Like India, Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country, where people face a number of floods, tornadoes and cyclones every year due to climate change.

Major disasters that occur in Bangladesh are tropical cyclones, tidal bores, floods, tornados, river bank erosion, earthquake etc.

The adverse impacts of natural disasters affecting socio-economic conditions need to be reduced for sustainable development.

Earlier, during the PM’s visit to India on April 7-10, 2017, a total of 22 different agreements and MoUs including on Defence Cooperation Framework, Establishment of Border Haats along the Indo-Bangla border, Bilateral Judicial Sector Cooperation, Passenger and Cruise Services on the Coastal and Protocol Route and Cooperation in the Field of Mass Media had been signed.