Cyclone Asani unlikely to hit Bangladesh coast: State Minister

There is no possibility of Cyclone Asani, lying over the Bay of Bengal, hitting Bangladesh, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman on Sunday.

It may move towards Bangladesh after it makes landfall along the Indian coast on May 12, he said in response to a question from reporters at his office in the Secretariat.

He said the cyclone is moving northwestwards. It will weaken while passing through Odisha, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar and West Bengal in India. “So far, no possibility of the cyclone hitting Bangladesh has been found.”

Due to the cyclone, there may be storms and rains in Bangladesh but there will be no cyclone or tidal wave, he added.

“This is the latest information we have.”

The state minister further said the cyclone currently lies in the Bay 1175 km from Chittagong port and 1250 km from Cox's Bazar. The speed of the cyclone is 55 kilometers per hour.

Asani, which formed in the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean on May 4, has gradually crossed the four levels of lows and turned into a cyclone at 6 am on Sunday, he informed.

Asked which part of Bangladesh may be hit if the direction of the cyclone changes, he said the direction of the cyclone changes all the time. It can take any turn at any time. “If the cyclone moves northwards, it may hit Satkhira, Khulna, Barishal and Patuakhali districts of our country.”

"We had a meeting last Thursday. There we have instructed our Ministry, Department, Fire Service, Meteorological Office, Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) and all,” he said.

At the same time, the deputy commissioners of the coastal districts and the district disaster management committee have been warned about the cyclone.

"We have also instructed the cyclone shelters to be prepared," he said.

“We have paid for the rice and for cooking there. Cyclone shelters are instructed to maintain safe distances in compliance with health protocols,” the state minister said.