Experts at a seminar in the capital yesterday urged the government to take steps for proper implementation of the Bangladesh National Building code to reduce earthquake disasterrisk by 90 per cent, reports UNB. They also warned that if the policymakers fail to come up with suitable plans and preparedness to diminish earth quake risk the country may face a serious devastation if a strong tremor hits it. Women's consortium of 10 international development organisations working for reducing disaster risks arranged the seminar titled 'National Consultation on Earthquake Response Preparedness: Gaps and Perspectives' at BRAC Centre Inn in the capital. ActionAid Bangladesh manger Nasir Uddin presented the keynote paper at theprogramme.
Disaster Management Ministry secretary Shah Kamal, Disaster Management Department DG Reaz Ahmed, Fire Service and Civil Defence DG Brigadier General Ali Ahmed Khan, Buet Prof Mehedi Ahmed Ansary, Dhaka University's Disaster Science and Management department chairman Dr ASM Maksud Kamal and ActionAid Bangladesh country director Farah Kabir, among others, spoke at the programme. In his keynote paper, Nasir Uddin said Bangladesh is the fifth most disaster vulnerable country of the world with its 30 per cent population living in urban areas.  
Around 50 per cent population of the country will live in cities by 2031, enhancing the disaster risk further.
He said Bangladesh now lacks proper plan, knowledge, expertise, information, and trained people to tackle a disaster like earthquake and reduce its risk.
Lack of coordination among different government bodies and agencies, including city corporations and Rajuk, is also a major problem to decrease disaster risk, Nasir added.
Reaz Ahmed said Bangladesh has no direct experience to face earthquake calamity as no strong tremor hit the country over the last 120 years.
He said the government has procured equipment at the cost of Tk 220 crore in the recent years to tackle disaster. More equipment worth about Tk 500 crore will be imported in the days to come.
Prof Mehedi Ansari voiced deep concern over the non-implementation of the Bangladesh National Building code over the last 10 years as huge numbers of buildings are being built in the country violating it, increasing the disaster risk.