Information checked against official Bangladeshi sources on 13 November 2026. Disaster management is led by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and its Department of Disaster Management (DDM); the Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) carries warnings to coastal villages, and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) issues cyclone signals 26.
What is Bangladesh's official preparedness guidance?
Bangladesh has one national household guide: Key messages for household-level disaster risk awareness, published by the DDM in December 2022 1. It sets out what families should do before, during and after 16 hazards, including cyclones and storm surges, floods, river erosion, lightning, earthquakes, fire, urban waterlogging and tsunamis 1. The Standing Orders on Disaster (2019) give the duties of every authority and the official cyclone signals 2. National Disaster Preparedness Day is held on 10 March 78.
What does each Bangladesh page cover?
| Page | In short |
|---|---|
| Emergency supplies | Dry food, safe water, medicines, torch, radio and documents; no official duration or litres per person 12 |
| Kit checklist | The DDM list, line by line, to tick off 1 |
| Public shelters | Cyclone and flood shelters; 9,424 opened for Cyclone Remal in May 2024 9 |
| Alerts | 11 sea-port and 4 river-port signals, flags, CPP volunteers, 1090; cell broadcast still planned 26410 |
| Iodine | Rooppur nuclear plant; no public iodine guidance published 11 |
| Build a shelter | No rules for private bunkers; official advice is about disaster-resilient homes 1 |
| Safe water | Arsenic in tube wells, boiling and purification tablets after floods, water stress |
| Air quality | The daily AQI of the Department of Environment and what each level means |
| Emergency contacts | 999, 102, 16111, 1090 and the agencies in charge 5 |
Where should I start?
Three steps cover most of what the Bangladeshi authorities ask of households:
- Kit. Keep dry food, safe drinking water, medicines, a torch, a radio and matches ready, and protect your documents and cash 1. Start with the kit checklist.
- Signals. Learn the cyclone signals and listen to radio and TV or dial 1090 for the latest news 24. See alerts.
- Shelter. Go to the shelter with your family as soon as the great danger signal (3 flags) is received, and stay until the authorities say otherwise 1. See public shelters.
Then put it in writing with a family emergency plan.
What is not published?
Bangladesh publishes no number of days of supplies and no litres of water per person 1. Phaenyx found no national inventory of cyclone shelters, no public guidance on potassium iodide around the Rooppur nuclear plant 11, and no national siren network 6. Cell broadcast alerts to every phone are still being planned 10.
Frequently asked questions
Who is in charge of disaster preparedness in Bangladesh?
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and its Department of Disaster Management. The Cyclone Preparedness Programme relays warnings in the coastal districts, and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department issues cyclone signals 26.
What is the emergency number in Bangladesh?
999, the National Emergency Service for police, fire service and ambulance. It is free from any phone, 24 hours a day 5.
How do I get cyclone warnings in Bangladesh?
Dial 1090 free from any mobile phone, then 4 for cyclone warning signals 4. In coastal areas, CPP volunteers raise signal flags and use megaphones and hand sirens 6.
Does Bangladesh have nuclear shelters for the public?
No. Public shelters are cyclone and flood shelters built against natural hazards 2.
Sources · 11
- Department of Disaster Management (DDM), Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief · দুর্যোগ ঝুঁকি হ্রাসে পারিবারিক পর্যায়ে সচেতনতার প্রধান বার্তাসমূহ (Key messages for household-level disaster risk awareness), first edition December 2022 checked 2026-11-13
- Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Government of Bangladesh (copy hosted by the Asian Disaster Reduction Center) · Standing Orders on Disaster 2019 (English edition), Appendix 2 'Warning signals for sea and river ports', Appendix 3 'Category of cyclones and signals', Appendix 4 'Guidelines for hoisting cyclone warning flags' checked 2026-11-13
- Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) · সিপিপির বর্তমান স্বেচ্ছাসেবক (কর্ম এলাকা ভিত্তিক তথ্য চিত্র), তারিখ ১ সেপ্টেম্বর ২০২৬ (CPP volunteers by working area, 1 September 2026) checked 2026-11-13
- Department of Disaster Management (DDM) · আইভিআর: দুর্যোগের আগাম বার্তা মোবাইলে আইভিআর পদ্ধতিতে প্রচার (IVR 1090) checked 2026-11-13
- Bangladesh National Portal (bangladesh.gov.bd), Government of Bangladesh · জরুরি হটলাইন (Emergency hotlines) checked 2026-11-13
- Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP), Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief · সংকেত প্রচার পদ্ধতি ও প্রক্রিয়া (How the Cyclone Preparedness Programme disseminates signals) checked 2026-11-13
- Department of Disaster Management (DDM) · "জাতীয় দুর্যোগ প্রস্তুতি দিবস-২০২০" উদযাপনের লক্ষ্যে প্রচার সংক্রান্ত উপ কমিটির সভার কার্যবিবরণী (Minutes of the publicity sub-committee for National Disaster Preparedness Day 2020, 27 January 2020) checked 2026-11-13
- Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (published by the Department of Disaster Management) · জাতীয় দুর্যোগ প্রস্তুতি দিবস ২০১৭: অনুষ্ঠানসূচি (programme, 10 March 2017) checked 2026-11-13
- Inter-cluster Coordination Group (ICCG) / United Nations in Bangladesh · Bangladesh: Cyclone Remal 2024, Situation Report No. 02 (as of 27 May 2024) checked 2026-11-13
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU) · EW4All Pillar 3 Workshop on National Emergency Telecommunication Plan and Cell Broadcast Early Warning System (Dhaka, 18-19 June 2025) checked 2026-11-13
- Government of Bangladesh (Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority), published by the IAEA · Bangladesh National Report for the 8th and 9th Review Meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety (2022) checked 2026-11-13