Bangladesh gearing up for severe cyclone Bulbul

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) this evening said a maximum sustained wind speed would be of about 120 kph rising to 140 kph in gusts or squalls.

Authorities ordered a massive evacuation campaign. “By now 4 lakh people were evacuated and we plan to shift 18 lakh people to cyclone shelters by the evening in 14 vulnerable districts,” said disaster management ministry senior secretary Md Shah Kamal.

He said the evacuation drive was being launched in 14 districts — Bhola, Barguna, Patuakhali, Barishal, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Bagherhat, Khulna, Satkhira, Chattogram, Noakhali, Feni, Laxmipur and Chandpur and their offshore islands and chars (small islands).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the government has taken all-out preparations to tackle the approaching cyclone.

“To face this cyclone and protect the people, we’ve taken all-out preparations,” she said while addressing the 13th national council of Bangladesh Jatiya Sramik League at historic Suhrawardy Udyan, reports news agency BSS.