The Announcement Ceremony of top 12 Disaster Preparedness Innovations was held on 24 April in "Padma Hall" at Dhaka Club Ltd. premises by Disaster and Emergencies Preparedness Programme Innovation Lab Bangladesh (DEPP Lab BD).

The Lab was officially launched on October 17 last year with the objective to find innovations in Health, Built Environment, Communication and Social Enterprise from Community with the vision of "Innovation for Safer Community". The lab started its campaign to seek innovations from the following four selected areas- Dhaka, Habiganj, Rangamati and Galachipa on December 25, 2017 and it was continued till January 31, 2018. After extensive selection processes the DEPP Lab BD finally selected 12 innovations from 83 proposals.

Dr Fuadul Islam from DEPP Innovation Lab Bangladesh said, "Each selected innovation team/ individuals will be provided with financial support, training, and mentorship and other necessary facilities to field test their innovations from May 1, 2018."

The ceremony was held in the presence of all the selected 12 innovators; Bhavya Srinivasan, DEPP Innovation Operation Manager from Start Network- UK; Professor Quazi Quamruzzaman, Chairman of Dhaka Community Hospital Trust; Professor Mahmuder Rahman, Coordinator, Dhaka Community Hospital Trust and Md. Golam Mostofa, Director of Project and Research Department of the same; DEPP Lab BD staffs, some government personnel; print and electronic media people were also present in the programme.

The DEPP Innovation Lab Bangladesh consists of five partners. Led by Dhaka Community Hospital Trust Bangladesh the other partners are SEEDS Technical Services, India; Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Belgium; University of New South Wales, Australia and Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network. DEPP Lab BD is a network of global labs funded by UK AID, and co-managed by Start Network and CDAC Network. n