The Minister for Food and Disaster Management, Dr. Mohammad Abdur Razzaque said,  on Sunday that government was working to make it an obligation under the law for all the buildings not only across the capital but also across the whole country to conform to Bangladesh National Building Code to reduce the losses in the event of earth-quakes.

It will be obligatory under the law for each and every building, both in the rural and urban areas, to strictly follow the building code, he said speaking at the seminar on “Apprehension of Earth Quake: Bangladesh” as Chief Guest.

Department of Real Estate of Daffodil International University and Dhaka Sub Editors Council (DSEC) jointly organized the Seminar at DIU Auditorium today April 10, 2011.

Mr. Md. Sabur Khan, Chairman, Board of Trustees of Daffodil International University was present as the special guests. The Keynote paper was presented in the seminar by country’s renowned science speaker Mr. Asif.

Presided over by Mr. Mukul Talukder , President , Dhaka Sub Editors Council the seminar was also addressed among others by Professor Dr. Aminul Islam, Vice Chancellor, Daffodil International University and Mr. Masud Ibne Rahman, Head, Department of Real Estate of Daffodil International University.

Listing the initiatives taken for reducing losses that could  be caused  by possible  quakes, the minister said that his ministry procured  search and rescue equipment worth Tk. 59 crore.

He said that procurement of more equipment worth Tk.164 crore by the government was under process. He said that it was also under process to train 62,000 urban community volunteers in search, rescue and first aid.

Mr. Md. Sabur Khan urged the government to modernize the Trauma Centers across the country and speed up the contingency plans for earth quake risk management.