POBNEWS24, Dhaka Apr 15, 2025: The government had built 220 cyclone shelters at a cost of Tk 2.19 crore each. This time, the cost of building 80 multipurpose cyclone shelters of the same quality has been proposed at Tk 6.83 crore each. Despite the time gap in the third phase of the same project, the Planning Commission considers this cost ‘unreasonable’.
The Department of Disaster Management has proposed this cost for the third phase of the project to construct multipurpose cyclone shelters in coastal and cyclone-prone areas. The project proposal has been sent to the Planning Commission. The commission has raised various questions about this proposal of the Department of Disaster Management.
The Planning Commission said that various proposals have been put forward in the project titled ‘Construction of Multipurpose Cyclone Shelters in Coastal and Cyclone-Prone Areas (Phase III)’ proposed by the Disaster Management Department to reduce costs. Under the project, it has been proposed to construct 80 multi-purpose cyclone shelters in 46 upazilas of 13 districts of Khulna, Barisal and Chittagong divisions of the country.
Under this project, in the first phase, 100 multipurpose cyclone shelters were constructed at a total cost of Tk 200 crore during the period from March 2011 to June 2015. In the second phase, 220 multipurpose cyclone shelters were constructed at a total cost of Tk 556 crore during the period from July 2016 to December 2021. Considering the current reality and economic situation, the project cost and number of multipurpose cyclone shelters will be reduced proportionally to a reasonable level.
It has been proposed to reduce the expenses of other parts of the project by 2 lakh taka for entertainment expenses, 10 lakh taka for irregular workers’ wages, 5 lakh taka for internet-fax expenses, 7 lakh taka for telephone bills, etc. In addition, the commission has opined that it is necessary to specifically mention in the project the single amount of all the sectors that have been mentioned as bulk.
The review shows that the construction of each multipurpose cyclone shelter will cost 6.83 crore taka. Considering the previous two phases, an additional expenditure of 4.64 crore taka has been proposed for the construction of each shelter. The commission has proposed to reduce this additional expenditure. The total cost of the project will be 6.61 crore 29 lakh taka. The project will be implemented from the current time till June 2027.
Regarding the additional cost of constructing multipurpose cyclone shelters, Director (Planning and Development) (Joint Secretary) of the Disaster Management Department, Md. Abdullah Al-Mamun told Jago News, ‘The design of the new multipurpose cyclone shelters has changed. Besides, the previous ones were implemented according to the rate schedule of 2011. The new ones will be implemented according to the rate schedule of 2023. Due to these reasons, the cost will also increase. The new ones are modern and standard. One thousand people can be sheltered. However, two thousand people can stay during disasters.’
A final decision has not yet been made on the additional cost of constructing the multi-purpose cyclone. The Planning Commission’s Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Department has held several meetings of the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) before. The PEC meeting will be held again soon. The issue of additional cost will be resolved in that meeting.
Joint Head (Food and Fertilizer Monitoring Wing) of the Planning Commission’s Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Division, Majeda Yasmin told Jago News, “No decision has been made yet on the additional cost of constructing the multi-purpose cyclone shelter. There will be another PEC meeting soon. Officials from all parties will be present at the meeting. Only then will a decision be made whether to reduce the cost or keep it the same.”
Project objectives and goals
The project aims to reduce the risk and increase the resilience of poor communities at risk of disasters in coastal and cyclone-prone areas, protect vulnerable people and their vital assets during cyclones, improve the quality of the educational environment for students in the project area, and create opportunities for using educational institutions for charitable purposes through multi-purpose use.
In addition, during disasters, 80 multipurpose cyclone shelters will provide shelter for a total of 80,000 vulnerable people, with 1,000 people each, and educational institutions will be made suitable for multipurpose use by enhancing the modern facilities and beauty of the academic buildings of the 80 educational institutions included in the project.
The Department of Disaster Management said that Bangladesh’s coastal areas, located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, are hit by cyclones and tidal waves almost every year. These cyclones cause millions of lives in the country and billions of dollars in property damage.
According to the ‘World Risk Report-2022’, Bangladesh ranks ninth among 192 countries at risk of natural disasters and fifth in the Asian continent. Out of the country’s nearly 180 million people, more than 35 million people live in 17 coastal and cyclone-prone districts. The current government has taken many timely steps to protect the lives and property of people in the coastal and cyclone-prone areas of the country. Since independence, various organizations have built 4,653 cyclone shelters to reduce disaster risk.
Even though the government has provided adequate relief materials, corrugated iron sheets and financial assistance to the affected families, the affected people are unable to fully return to their previous condition due to extreme poverty. To overcome this situation, if multipurpose cyclone shelters are constructed, it will be possible to protect people and their assets at risk of cyclones. For this, the Disaster Management Department has taken up the project titled ‘Construction of multipurpose cyclone shelters in coastal and cyclone-prone areas’.
Each three-story structure will have a total area of 1,696 square meters. Deep tube wells will be installed in each of the 80 multi-purpose cyclone shelters under the project to provide clean water, retain rainwater, and provide renewable electricity.
