The New Nation - Internet Edition

Recently the newly appointed Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr. Abdullah Bin Naser Al-Bushari while meeting a business delegation from DIEC put emphasis on enhancing trade and investment between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. He assured that his country would extend all out cooperation to speed up economic advancement of the two brotherly nations. Dr.Al-Bushari who worked in the Saudi Embassy, Dhaka twenty years back observed that Bangladesh has achieved a lot of development during this period.

While sincerely appreciating the goodwill of the Saudi Ambassador in Bangladesh, I would request his good office to please work on increasing employment opportunities for Bangladeshi skilled, unskilled workers and professionals in Saudi Arabia.

We wish a golden success of the new Saudi Ambassador Dr. Abdullah Bib Naser AL-Bushari in his diplomatic assignment in Bangladesh.

Professor M Zahidul Haque

Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University

Dhaka.

Capital City Dhaka and some other towns of the country experienced a jolt on Saturday mid-night. Its magnitude was 5.6 on the Richter Scale. During this mid-night jot a good number of people, particularly some students of Dhaka University became injured in panic/fear syndrome.

However, luckily there occurred no major damages to lives and properties. Maybe it was just a warning from the nature's side.

Met-experts have suggested that there may be a second jolt (of higher intensity) in the near future. That is, now we are under a potential threat of a severe earthquake in the coming days.

This is a natural phenomenon and no body can resist or stop it. But what worries me much is our lack (at all levels) of anti-disaster preparedness. It is really unthinkable what could be the extent and volume of damages - in terms of lives and properties - if the Richter Scale records 6 plus magnitude jolt.

It is high time to make National Disaster Preparedness Action Plan now or else the consequential cost would be too high.

Kalpana Chowdhury

Azimpur, Dhaka