Standing Committee on Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief

Head

n/a

Role

Chairman

Annual budget

n/a

Staff

n/a

Established

1972

Legal basis

Constitution of Bangladesh, Article 76 (a standing committee shall be appointed for each ministry); Jatiya Sangsad Rules of Procedure, Rules 190-230 (standing committees on ministries: constitution, quorum, powers to summon witnesses and examine accounts, reporting duties).

The entity is transitioning from a relief-based approach to a proactive, technology-driven risk reduction framework through policy modernization and anticipatory action funding.

The Standing Committee on Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief is constitutionally mandated (Article 76) and must be formed for each parliament under Jatiya Sangsad Rules of Procedure, Rules 190-230. As of 17 May 2026, it has NOT been constituted for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad: the first session (12 March to 30 April 2026, 25 sittings) formed only five procedural committees. Ministry-level standing committees remain pending for the second session. The parliament.gov.bd page at /Members-of-committees/150/ exists as a shell URL (carries 12th parliament data) but has no confirmed 13th-parliament membership. verification_status is therefore 'partial': constitutional and legal basis verified via Constitution Article 76 and Rules of Procedure; current_head, head_since, and committee membership are unconfirmed as the committee has not been constituted. The incumbent minister overseeing the portfolio is Asadul Habib Dulu (born 5 August 1960, Lalmonirhat; BNP Rangpur divisional organizing secretary; Lalmonirhat-3 MP; MA Economics, University of Rajshahi; previously Deputy Minister for Food and Disaster Management 2001-2006 under Khaleda Zia's BNP government). He was sworn in on 17 February 2026 as part of the Tarique Rahman cabinet. The three live policy issues within the committee's mandate window: (a) Northeastern haor flash-flood response (April-May 2026): upstream rainfall from Meghalaya triggered flash floods across Sunamganj, Sylhet, Habiganj, Netrokona, and Kishoreganj haor districts; BDRCS Situation Report 1 (30 April 2026) recorded 1 river station under severe flood, 4 under flood, 4 under warning; government announced Tk 7,500/month for three months to approximately 100,000 affected households under PM Tarique Rahman's directive; disbursement conditioned on accurate local-administration beneficiary lists; Minister Dulu visited Sunamganj on 4 May for field inspection; (b) Cyclone and flood shelter infrastructure: 320 existing shelters (258 upazilas, 43 flood-prone districts); 128 additional flood shelters under procurement; 90 multipurpose cyclone shelters for coastal areas planned; 23 shelters specifically announced for Lalmonirhat; (c) Lightning mortality: Bangladesh declared lightning a national disaster in 2016; Minister Dulu committed to long-term action plan in the Jatiya Sangsad (27 April 2026) following a public importance notice by Sunamganj-1 MP Kamruzzaman Kamrul; plan covers haor-region lightning rods and community shelters. Note on Tk 7,500 figure: The Tk 7,500/month relief was announced by Agriculture Minister Amin ur Rashid Yasin on 4 May 2026 and confirmed by Minister Dulu as the Disaster Management Ministry's co-administered relief quantum at the inter-ministerial meeting on 7 May 2026. Both ministries jointly manage the haor relief response under PM directive. The figure is sourced from BSS, Dhaka Tribune, TBS, and BDNews24.