Speakers at a roundtable yesterday emphasised timely disaster warnings, suggesting auto shutdown systems for gas, electricity and mobile networks to minimise losses.

They also recommended involving women in disaster management committees.

The discussion, part of Bangladesh's National Disaster Preparedness Day, was organised by BRAC.

Kamrul Hasan, secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, stressed the importance of adhering to the Bangladesh National Building Code to prevent man-made disasters.

Liakath Ali, director at BRAC, highlighted the significant impact of climate change, noting that over 7 million people have already migrated, with projections indicating that the number of climate migrants could reach 13 million by 2050.

Dilruba Haider, UN Women programme specialist, called for women's inclusion in disaster management at local levels.

KAM Morshed, BRAC senior director, among others, spoke.