The cyclone looked very threatening, as it was moving towards our coastal areas. There was the threat of both devastation by the gale-speed and a tidal surge. Such a lethal combination is something that the poor, helpless people in the vast coastal areas find very difficult to cope with. But this time around, the warning system worked well and the people could be shifted to cyclone shelters in time. There was visible coordination between the local administration, owners of trawlers and other vessels and people in most of the places and, as a result, no great damage was done. Effective dissemination of information regarding the cyclone through a relay-system helped people's movement to safety. It should also be noted here that river vessels on different southern routes didn't operate and no mishap was reported. But the missing trawlers are a reminder of more to be done by way of streamlining the early warning system.

Now comes the question of rehabilitating those stricken by the cyclone. At least two thousand houses have been damaged in Cox's Bazar district alone. Shirmp farms and salt beds have been washed away in some places and, worst of all, the communication system has been disrupted. The affected people need financial and logistic support to overcome the crisis. Our disaster management plan must attach due importance to the issue.

Natural calamities in various forms are part of life here. People in general would face the challenge with great resilience, but frequently they had to succumb to the fury of such calamities in the absence of any disaster preparedness in the past. But the situation has changed for the better, and the agencies in charge of warning and rescuing people are working a great deal more effectively, despite various limitations and constraints. That said, they have to perform even better to minimise people's sufferings.