DHAKA, May 30, 2024 (BSS) – A competition titled ‘Disaster Hackathon 2.0’ has begun for public and private university students across the country to find innovative strategies to tackle the natural disasters easily.

Dhaka University (DU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr ASM Maksud Kamal inaugurated the registration process for the competition on Wednesday evening at Abdul Matin Chowdhury virtual class room, adjacent to the VC office on DU campus here, said a press release today.

Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST) VC Professor Dr Hafiza Khatun spoke at the function as the special guest with Start Fund Bangladesh Country Manager Sajid Raihan in the chair.

Chief Coordinator of FOREWARN Bangladesh, a NGO working on disaster management, Ashraful Haque presented the keynote paper in the event. 

The university students from across the country could register for the competition till June 30 while a total of five disaster management strategies will be selected for residential training and mentoring in the last week of October next. 

Before that, disaster management strategies will be assessed following training and mentoring from July 1 to September 20 while every strategy is supposed to be submitted by a team consist of three to five members.

Finally, three teams will be awarded for their best strategies and their innovated strategies will be implemented in the field level to tackle the natural disasters.

Speaking on the occasion, DU VC Maksud Kamal said Bangladesh is one of the victims of the global climate change.

Bangladesh faces frequent extreme events like cyclones and flash floods, which affect public life and properties, he said and hoped that various strategies supposed to come out through the “Disaster Hackathon” would play an important role in reducing the casualties from the disasters.

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief KM Abdul Wadud, Director General of the Department of Disaster Management Md Mizanur Rahman, Director of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) Md Azizur Rahman, and Professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering, Technology (BUET) Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM) Dr Anisul Haque and Start Network CEO Christina Bennett joined the event.