The government will relocate people living in landslide-prone areas and build houses for them at safer locations to prevent recurring deaths caused by hill collapses, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu said on Thursday.
He urged lawmakers from hill districts to support the initiative by raising awareness among residents and helping with the relocation process.
The minister made the announcement in a statement under Rule 300 of the parliamentary proceedings during the 22nd sitting of the second and first budget session of the 13th National Parliament.
The session was chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.
Dulu said recent landslides in Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati and Bandarban have claimed 30 lives.
Of them, five people died in Chattogram, 19 in Cox’s Bazar, one in Rangamati and five in Bandarban.
Following the disasters, the government has opened hundreds of shelters in the affected districts, he said.
A total of 41 shelters have been opened in Chattogram, 640 in Cox’s Bazar, 21 in Rangamati, 135 in Khagrachhari and 220 in Bandarban.
Thousands of people have taken refuge at these shelters, where arrangements have been made for drinking water, sanitation, baby food and three meals a day, the minister said.
He added that local administrations are continuing awareness campaigns through loudspeakers to encourage people living in risky areas to move to safer locations.
The minister said the government initially allocated Tk10 lakh in cash assistance under the General Relief (GR) programme and 200 metric tonnes of rice for each affected district on 7 July.
Later, additional allocations were made based on the situation, including Tk25 lakh for Chattogram, Tk20 lakh for Cox’s Bazar, and Tk 10 lakh each for Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
The government also allocated 300 metric tonnes of rice for Chattogram, 250 metric tonnes for Cox’s Bazar and 200 metric tonnes each for Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
Besides these allocations, the Prime Minister’s relief fund provided a special grant of Tk20 lakh for each affected district, he said.
Dulu said the ministry secretary is currently stationed in the affected regions following the prime minister’s directive, while district and upazila administrations are monitoring the situation and overseeing relief operations.
He requested lawmakers from the hill areas to visit their constituencies during the parliamentary recess and coordinate relief activities with local administrations and the ministry.
“Deaths of people living at the foothills and in risky locations every year must be stopped permanently,” the minister said.
He added that the government has access to unused khas land and land under the Housing Ministry that could be used for rehabilitation. If lawmakers help create awareness among local communities, the government is ready to relocate vulnerable families, rehabilitate them and construct houses for them, he said.
The minister called for coordinated efforts from all stakeholders to prevent further loss of life from landslides in the future.
