An upazila-level orientation meeting of the PROTISTHAA Project was held in Char Fasson Upazila of Bhola to raise awareness on disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction.

The meeting took place at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday (August 4) in the conference room of the Char Fasson Upazila Administration. The project is being implemented by Nazrul Smriti Sangsad (NSS) with technical support from Action Against Hunger (ACF) and financial assistance from ECHO.

The event was attended by Char Fasson Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rumana Afroz as the chief guest. Among those present were Upazila Project Implementation Officer Waliul Islam, Upazila Social Services Officer Mamun Hossain, Upazila Engineer Jaglul Faruk, Upazila Women Affairs Officer Mohammad Nurnabi, Secondary Education Officer Mir M.K.M. Abul Khair, Primary Education Officer Mizanur Rahman, Assistant Professor Nazrul Islam of Janata Bazar Shaheed Ziaur Rahman College, Vice-President of Char Fasson Press Club Sajib Shahriar, Medical Officer Dr. Touhid Hossain, Upazila Family Planning Officer Mohammad Salahuddin, Assistant Director of Coast Foundation Rasheda Begum, Academic Supervisor Khalilur Rahman, Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Chanauallah Azam, and agriculture entrepreneur Sulaiman.

Administrative officials from different unions, secondary school teachers, youth representatives, civil society members, NGO representatives, officials and staff of the PROTISTHAA Project, and local community leaders also participated in the meeting.

The programme began with the recitation of the Holy Quran and the Bhagavad Gita. A welcome address was delivered by Hasan Mahmud, Reporting and Monitoring Officer of the PROTISTHAA Project.

Later, Md. Nazmul Hossain, Upazila Manager of the PROTISTHAA Project, presented a multimedia presentation outlining the project’s objectives, activities, implementation strategy, expected outcomes, and the importance of Anticipatory Action in disaster preparedness.

During the open discussion and question-and-answer session, participants offered several recommendations for effective project implementation. They emphasized ensuring transparency in beneficiary selection, prioritizing genuinely vulnerable families, constructing additional cyclone shelters, expanding the project to other high-risk unions, and forming disaster management committees with qualified and competent members.

In her remarks, Chief Guest Rumana Afroz said, “Non-governmental development organizations play an important role as partners of the government in serving the public. Initiatives like this can significantly reduce the loss of lives and property during disasters.”

She assured full cooperation from the Upazila Administration for the successful implementation of the project.

Other guests also expressed their support for the initiative and pledged cooperation to ensure the project’s success.

The programme was moderated by Md. Nazmul Hossain, Upazila Manager of the PROTISTHAA Project.