Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Thursday urged Türkiye to bring their technologies to Bangladesh, invest more, relocate factories and use Bangladesh’s youth forces. “You are the leader of the technology; you can build your defence industry here. Let’s make a beginning…we are available for anything that you need,” he said when a delegation led by Türkiye Trade Minister Prof Dr Ömer Bolat called on him at the state guest house Jamuna. We back interim govt, reform agenda: EIB VP tells Dr Yunus Mentioning Bangladesh as the 8th most populous country in the world, Dr Yunus said that the interim government was working to create work opportunities for the country’s youths and sought Turkey's help in this regard. “We have to give our young people an opportunity, so we want your help; this is my appeal to your country. Use our young people to run your factories here so that you can supply your products in the region,” he said. The Chief Adviser said Bangladesh and Turkey have the potential to build a dream relationship through mutual cooperation in various fields. Jamaat Ameer discusses reforms, national unity with Chief Adviser Yunus “The relationship between Bangladesh and Turkey is very warm; we want to build it in all sectors.”  There are so many things to be done, some we want your support, your technology, and your investments," Dr Yunus said. Turkey Trade Minister Prof Dr Ömer Bolat said that Bangladesh and Turkey can diversify their cooperation beyond the textile industry, which was their primary import from Bangladesh. He said that there can be economic cooperation in the field of defence industry, health care, pharmaceuticals, and farm machinery. “We can replace India and other markets in Bangladesh’s imports. There can be cooperation in economic and social fields at all levels.” He also said that Bangladesh and Turkish universities can have reciprocal cooperation. Bangladesh's exports to Turkey stood at around 581 million USD in 2023-24, while imports were around 424 million USD. Now nearly 20 large Turkish companies are operating in Bangladesh in garments and textiles, accessories, chemicals, engineering, construction, and energy sectors. Among the Turkish companies operating in Bangladesh, notable ones include the Turkish LPG company AYGAZ, Coca-Cola Içecek, and the refrigerator and AC manufacturer ARCILIK (which has acquired Singer Bangladesh Ltd.). During the meeting, the Chief Adviser recalled his telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in August, following which an eight-member Turkish delegation visited Bangladesh in October. Create a team for economic diplomacy; promote Bangladesh abroad: Dr Yunus asks BEPZA Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, Adviser Mahfuz Alam, Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, SDG Affairs Secretary Lamiya Morshed, and BIDA Chairman Ashik Mahmud Chowdhory were, among others, present on the occasion.

A delegation of the visiting Turkey's International Jurists Union had a meeting with BNP leaders on Friday and discussed a wide range of issues, including the judicial system of Bangladesh and the prosecution of individuals involved in repressive acts who have fled the country in the face of a mass uprising. The 16-member delegation of the International Jurists Union went to the BNP Chairperson's Gulshan office around 3pm and held the meeting with a BNP team led by party standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. Fakhrul asks adviser Nahid to withdraw his comment on political parties Talking to reporters after the meeting, Khosru said the discussion focused on several critical issues, including Bangladesh's judicial system, the return of individuals who fled the country in the wake of a mass uprising, and how to hold accountable those involved in extrajudicial killings. “We discussed Bangladesh's judicial system during this transitional period, following the ouster of the autocrats. We also talked about how to bring those who fled the country to trial, drawing on Turkey's experience and practices in this regard,” he said. The BNP said the discussions also covered how to prosecute politicians and those who abetted the autocratic government in perpetrating mass killings during the uprising, forcibly making people disappear, carrying out extrajudicial killings, and committing other repressive acts. He also talked about the legal procedures required to bring back the autocratic ruler and her cohorts, who had fled the country. "Our discussions with them will continue as we work towards reforming our judiciary. It's impossible to maintain order if the judicial system is not functioning properly.” BNP criticises Adviser Nahid over remarks on political parties Khosru also said out of 12,000 judges and prosecutors in Turkey, 4,000 were removed for their alleged links to a failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He said many politicians and government officials fled Turkey following their failed attempt to oust Erdogan. “We discussed how we can draw from their experience in this regard.” Apart from Khosru, BNP Chairperson's Foreign Affairs Advisory Committee Member Tasvir Ul Islam, along with party leaders Barrister Nasir Uddin Ahmed Ashim and Shama Obed, were also present at the meeting.

Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Ramis Sen on Sunday said his country will work with Bangladesh at the international level to resolve the Rohingya crisis. He made the pledge during a meeting with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.  The Turkish envoy met Fakhrul and discussed bilateral issues and the upcoming national election in Bangladesh. The meeting, which lasted approximately 45 minutes, began around 4pm at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office. Dhaka voices “deep concern” over recent influx of 40,000 Rohingyas BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and BNP Organising Secretary Shama Obed were also present at the meeting. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Khosru said they covered a range of issues, including the Rohingya crisis. He recalled that Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu were the first foreign dignitaries to visit the Rohingya camps in 2017, shortly after Myanmar's persecuted citizens sought refuge in Cox’s Bazar. Foreign aid for Rohingya programmes drops: Roundtable “Turkey has shown strong commitment to the Rohingya people and resolving the crisis. They have continued their cooperation through providing healthcare and donations for the Rohingyas," the BNP leader said. Khosru said the Turkish envoy informed them that his country will work with Bangladesh at the international level, particularly through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to resolve the Rohingya crisis in the future. "I hope we’ll be able to do that.” During the meeting, the BNP leader mentioned that the discussion also touched on Bangladesh's upcoming general election. "Every foreign friend has the same question: when will the election be held? We told them what we usually say," he said. He said the international stakeholders are waiting to decide on their future engagement with Bangladesh, depending on the restoration of a democratic order through an elected government. "Turkey has an interest in this, and they also wanted to know when the election will be held.” Khosru shared that Turkey is considering setting up a cultural centre in Dhaka in the near future. He said they also discussed how to enhance trade relations between the two countries by improving people-to-people and business-to-business connections. Besides, the BNP leader mentioned that Turkey plans to offer discounted treatment packages for Bangladeshis who wish to seek medical care there. "Many Bangladeshis are already going to Turkey for treatment, and Turkey wants to encourage this further. The standard of medical treatment in Turkey is comparable to that of Western countries," Khosru said. He also said the Turkish envoy expressed a willingness to assist Bangladesh in building capacity across various sectors and supporting institutional reforms, including within the Election Commission.  

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey on Wednesday, causing widespread panic among residents, though there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or damage. The earthquake occurred at 10:46 a.m. (07:46 GMT) near the town of Kale in Malatya province, as reported by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD). It was felt in surrounding cities including Diyarbakir, Elazig, Erzincan, and Tunceli. Read: Unusual earthquake raises alarms: Is Iran testing its first nuclear bomb? Malatya Mayor Sami Er stated that there had been no reports of significant issues so far, but officials were assessing potential damage in more remote areas. Many people fled their homes and offices in fear and waited outside in streets and parks, hesitant to return indoors. As a precaution, schools in Elazig were ordered to close. Malatya was previously impacted by a devastating earthquake last year that resulted in over 53,000 fatalities in Turkey, along with significant destruction in parts of Turkey and northern Syria.

In recent years, several earthquakes have devastated different parts of the globe. Earthquakes are caused by sudden movement along tectonic plates within the surface of earth. These movements release energy in the form of seismic waves that cause the earth's surface to shake. These geological events disrupt lives and economies, standing as stark reminders of the need for earthquake preparedness. Let's take a look at the top earthquake-prone countries across the world and understand their vulnerabilities. The World's 10 Most Earthquake-prone Countries Japan Japan occupies a precarious position in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc characterized by fault lines and volcanic activity in the Pacific Ocean basin. This is the convergence of four tectonic plates: the Pacific, Philippine, Okhotsk, and Eurasian. The primary reason behind Japan's seismic vulnerability is the collision and subduction of these tectonic slabs. The Pacific Plate is subducting beneath the North American Plate, creating deep ocean trenches and mountain ranges. Read more Earthquake Safety Tips for Parents to Keep Children Safe The 2011 Tohoku earthquake, with a magnitude of 9.1, triggered a devastating tsunami, claiming around 19,759 lives. The 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, measuring magnitude 7, caused about 273 fatalities.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated his stance for working with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take the existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Turkey to a new height. The re-elected president of Turkey said this during a telephone call to PM Hasina at around 11:15 pm on Wednesday (May 31, 2023). The two leaders exchanged greetings and spoke to each other for 10 minutes, according to a press release from PMO Press Wing. Hasina congratulated Erdogan on securing victory at the second round election, where the voter turnout rate was above 86 percent. Read more: What 5 more years of Erdogan's rule means for Turkey She expressed her happiness over her confidence that the people of Turkey would make the right choice, which was proved after the runoff election. PM Hasina reiterated that the People of Bangladesh would remain steadfast to stand by the brotherly people of Turkey at any time of need, as during the February 2023 earthquake. President Erdogan expressed his gratitude that the brotherly people of Bangladesh mentally joined the jubilant people of Turkey at his victory in the second round election. To this end, he thanked the people of Bangladesh and wished to further strengthen the ties between the two peoples. Read more: Turkey's Erdogan retains power, now faces challenges over the economy and earthquake recovery Hasina conveyed her best wishes to Erdogan and his family members and wished continued peace, progress, and prosperity through him to the people of Turkey.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday the "time is now" for Turkey to drop its objections to Sweden joining NATO but said the Biden administration also believed that Turkey should be provided with upgraded F-16 fighters "as soon as possible." Blinken maintained that the administration had not linked the two issues but acknowledged that some U.S. lawmakers had. President Joe Biden implicitly linked the two issues in a phone call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. "I spoke to Erdogan and he still wants to work on something on the F-16s. I told him we wanted a deal with Sweden. So let's get that done," Biden said. Also Read: Finland could join NATO ahead of Sweden: Defense minister Still, Blinken insisted the two issues were distinct. However, he stressed that the completion of both would dramatically strengthen European security. "Both of these are vital, in our judgement, to European security," Blinken told reporters at a joint news conference in the northern Swedish city of Lulea with Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. "We believe that both should go forward as quickly as possible; that is to say Sweden's accession and moving forward on the F-16 package more broadly." "We believe the time is now," Blinken said. He declined to predict when Turkey and Hungary, the only other NATO member not yet to have ratified Sweden's membership, would grant their approval. But, he said, "we have no doubt that it can be, it should be, and we expect it to be" completed by the time alliance leaders meet in Vilnius, Lithuania in July at an annual summit. Also Read: Erdogan might approve Finland’s NATO bid, ‘shock’ Sweden Fresh from a strong re-election victory over the weekend, Erdogan may be willing to ease his objections to Sweden's membership. Erdogan accuses Sweden of being too soft on groups Ankara considers to be terrorists, and a series of Quran-burning protests in Stockholm angered his religious support base — making his tough stance even more popular. Kristersson said the two sides had been in contact since Sunday's vote and voiced no hesitancy in speaking about the benefits Sweden would bring to NATO "when we join the alliance." Blinken is in Sweden attending a meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council and will travel to Oslo, Norway on Wednesday for a gathering of NATO foreign ministers, before going on to newly admitted alliance member Finland on Friday. Also Read: Erdogan says no support for Sweden's NATO bid Speaking in Oslo ahead of the foreign ministers' meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the goal was to have Sweden inside the grouping before the leaders' summit in July. "There are no guarantees, but it's absolutely possible to reach a solution and enable the decision on full membership for Sweden by the Vilnius summit," Stoltenberg said.  

A hard-line anti-migrant party on Wednesday threw its weight behind the opposition candidate who is running against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in this weekend's runoff presidential race. Umit Ozdag, the leader of the far-right Victory Party, announced his support for main opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who will be facing off against Erdogan on Sunday. He said he decided to back Kilicdaroglu over his promises to repatriate millions of migrants. Ozdag's announcement came just days after Sinan Ogan, the third-placed contender in the first round of the presidential election on May 14, endorsed Erdogan in the upcoming runoff. Ogan was the joint candidate of an alliance of small conservative parties, led by Ozdag's Victory Party. Erdogan received 49.5% of the votes in the first round of the presidential race — just short of the majority needed for an outright victory — compared to Kilicdaroglu's 44.9%. Also Read: How Turkey's president maintains popularity despite economic turmoil Erdogan's ruling party and its nationalist and Islamist allies also retained a majority in the 600-seat parliament — a development that increases Erdogan's chances of reelection because voters are likely to vote for him to avoid a splintered government, analysts say. In an apparent attempt to woo nationalist voters in the runoff, Kilicdaroglu hardened his tone last week, vowing to send back refugees and ruling out any peace negotiations with Kurdish militants if he is elected. Kilicdaroglu, 74, is the joint candidate of a six-party opposition alliance, which has pledged to reverse Turkey's authoritarian drift under Erdogan and return the country to a parliamentary democracy with increased checks and balances. Turkey is home to the world's largest refugee community, including 3.7 million Syrians. Anti-migrant sentiment is running high in the country amid economic turmoil, including high inflation, and the issue of the repatriation of migrants has become a main campaign issue.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has remained in power for 20 years by repeatedly surmounting political crises: mass protests, corruption allegations, an attempted military coup and a huge influx of refugees fleeing Syria's civil war. Now the Turkish people and economy are being pummeled by sky-high inflation, and many are still recovering from a devastating earthquake in February made worse by the government's slow response. Yet Erdogan — a populist with increasingly authoritarian instincts — enters a runoff election Sunday as the strong favorite against opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu after falling just shy of victory in the first round of voting. So, even with a weak hand, what explains his longevity and wide appeal? Erdogan, 69, has cultivated deep loyalty from conservative and religious supporters by elevating Islamic values in a country that has been defined by secularism for nearly a century. He has tightened his grip on power by deploying government resources to his political advantage — lavishly spending on infrastructure to please constituents, and strictly controlling the media to silence criticism. And he has swayed many Turks to his side by the way he navigates the world stage, showing that his country has an independent streak — and can flex its military — as it engages with the East and West. Erdogan's popularity at a moment of economic crisis also seems to be derived from the mere fact of his endurance; many people seem to want some stability, not more change, according to interviews with voters and analysts. "During times of national crises such as this one, people usually rally around the leader," said Gonul Tol, an analyst at the Middle East Institute in Washington. "The voters don't have enough faith in the opposition's ability to fix things." Already Turkey's longest serving leader, Erdogan would stretch his rule into a third decade — until 2028 — if he were to secure a majority of votes in the runoff. He received 49.5% of the votes in the first round — four percentage points ahead of Kilicdaroglu, a social democrat who has led the country's main opposition party since 2010. And on Monday Erdogan won the endorsement of the far-right candidate who finished in third place, giving him a boost heading into the runoff. Kilicdaroglu, an economist and former member of parliament, is the joint candidate of a six-party coalition alliance. He has promised to undo Erdogan's economic policies, which experts say have stoked inflation, and to reverse Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian leanings, including crackdowns on free speech. But his campaign has struggled to entice Erdogan supporters. "Look at the stage our country has arrived in the last 20 years. (The opposition) would take us back 50-60 years," said Bekir Ozcelik, a security guard in Ankara, who voted for Erdogan. "There is no other leader in the world that measures up to Erdogan." What Ozcelik and many other supporters see in Erdogan is a leader who has shown that Turkey can be a major player in geopolitics. Turkey is a key member of NATO because of its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and it controls the alliance's second-largest army. Under Erdogan's rule, Turkey has proven to be an indispensable and, at times, troublesome NATO ally. It vetoed Sweden's entry into NATO and purchased Russian missile-defense systems, prompting the United States to oust Turkey from a U.S.-led fighter-jet project. Yet, together with the U.N., Turkey brokered a vital deal that has allowed Ukraine to ship grain through the Black Sea to parts of the world struggling with hunger. After civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Erdogan embroiled Turkey by backing opposition fighters seeking to depose President Bashar Assad. The fighting triggered a surge of Syrian refugees that Erdogan has used as leverage against European nations, by threatening to open up Turkey's borders and swamp them with migrants. And Turkey now controls large swaths of territory in northern Syria, after a succession of military attacks aimed at Kurdish groups there affiliated with rebels that Turkey has outlawed. Erdogan has boasted about Turkey's military-industrial sector on the campaign trail citing homemade drones, aircraft and a warship touted as the world's first "drone carrier" — and the message appeared to resonate with voters on May 14, analysts say. On the domestic front, Erdogan has raised Islam's profile in country whose secular roots are fraying. He has curbed the powers of the once staunchly secularist military and lifted rules that barred conservative women from wearing headscarves in schools and government offices. To further rally his conservative supporters, Erdogan has disparaged Kilicdaroglu and the opposition as supporting what he called "deviant" LGBTQ rights. The biggest threat Erdogan faces at the moment is the economy. His primary method of attacking families' diminishing purchasing power has been to unleash government spending, which — along with lowering interest rates — only makes inflation worse, according to economists. Erdogan has increased public-sector wages, boosted pensions and allowed millions of people to retire early. He has also introduced electricity and gas subsidies and wiped out some household debt. He has also promised to spend whatever is necessary to reconstruct the vast quake-stricken areas. At each ground-breaking ceremony he attends, Erdogan says only his government can rebuild lives following the disaster that leveled cities and killed more than 50,000 in Turkey. Erdogan's party won 10 out of 11 provinces in the region affected by the quake, an area that has traditionally supported him — despite criticism that his government's initial response to the disaster was slow. Mustafa Ozturk, an Erdogan supporter in Ankara, said his standard of living has declined as a result of inflation. But the way he sees it, Turkey isn't the only country struggling with inflation since the pandemic. "It isn't Erdogan's fault," he said. Ozturk said he would never vote against Erdogan, saying he felt "indebted" to him for bringing Islam more to the forefront of society. Erdogan's message — and power — are amplified by his tight control over the media. The state-owned broadcaster TRT Haber devoted more than 48 hours of airtime to Erdogan since April 1, compared with 32 minutes given to Kilicdaroglu, according to Ilhan Tasci, a member of Turkey's radio and television watchdog. Kilicdaroglu's promise to repair the economy and uphold women's rights to wear Islamic headscarves in schools simply did not resonate in the country's conservative heartland. "Kilicdaroglu changed the image of the (opposition) party, but Erdogan controls the narrative, so there is that fear factor" among conservative women who wear Islamic-style headscarves, Tol said. "They believe that if the opposition comes to power, they will be worse off." After Turkey's pro-Kurdish party backed Kilicdaroglu, Erdogan portrayed the opposition as being supported by Kurdish "terrorists." The opposition's efforts to refute this were rarely broadcast by the mainstream media. Erdogan "meticulously crafted a run for victory that included leaning on state institutions, leaning on information control and demonizing the opposition as terrorists or (having) beliefs interpreted as insufficiently Muslim," said Soner Cagaptay an expert on Turkey at the Washington Institute and an author of numerous books about Erdogan. "The media switched the debate to how Turkey has become an industrial military giant under him. And it worked," Cagaptay said. During the first round of voting on May 14, Turkey also held legislative elections, in which Erdogan's alliance of nationalist and Islamist parties won a majority in the 600-seat parliament. That gives him an additional advantage in the second round, analysts say, because many voters are likely to back him to avoid a splintered government. "The parliament is overwhelmingly with us," Erdogan said last week in an interview with CNN-Turk. "If there is a stable administration, there will be peace and prosperity in the country."

Turkey’s presidential elections appeared to be heading toward a second-round runoff on Monday, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled his country with a firm grip for 20 years, leading over his chief challenger, but falling short of the votes needed for an outright win. With votes of Turkish citizens living abroad still being counted, results from the state-run Anadolu news agency showed Erdogan had 49.3% of the votes, with his main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu garnering 45%. Erdogan, 69, told supporters in the early hours of Monday that he could still win. He said, however, that he would respect the nation’s decision if the race went to a runoff on May 28. The vote was being closely watched to see if the strategically located NATO country — which has a coast on the Black Sea to the north, and neighbors Iran, Iraq and Syria to the south — remains under the control of the increasingly authoritarian president or can embark on a more democratic course that was envisioned by Kilicdaroglu. Also Read: Turkey Election: Runoff likely as Erdogan fails to secure majority of votes Opinion polls in the runup to Sunday’s vote had given Kilicdaroglu, the joint candidate of a six-party opposition alliance, a slight lead over Erdogan, who has governed Turkey as either prime minister or president since 2003. Kilicdaroglu sounded hopeful for a second-round victory. “We will absolutely win the second round ... and bring democracy” said Kilicdaroglu, 74, maintaining that Erdogan had lost the trust of a nation now demanding change. This year’s election came amid a backdrop of economic turmoil, a cost-of-living crisis and a February earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people. Western nations and foreign investors are also awaiting the outcome because of Erdogan’s unorthodox leadership of the economy and often mercurial but successful efforts to put Turkey at the center of international negotiations. Also Read: Partial results in Turkey's election show President Erdogan leading, state-run news agency says As in previous years, Erdogan led a highly divisive campaign in his bid to stretch his rule into a third decade. He portrayed Kilicdaroglu, who had received the backing of the country’s pro-Kurdish party, of colluding with “terrorists” and of supporting what he called “deviant” LGBTQ rights. In a bid to woo voters hit hard by inflation, he increased wages and pensions and subsidized electricity and gas bills, while showcasing Turkey’s homegrown defense industry and infrastructure projects. Kilicdaroglu, for his part, campaigned on promises to reverse crackdowns on free speech and other forms of democratic backsliding, as well as to repair an economy battered by high inflation and currency devaluation. The election results showed that Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party was also set to retain its majority in the 600-seat parliament, although the assembly has lost much of its legislative power after a referendum to change the country’s system of governance to an executive presidency narrowly passed in 2017. Anadolu news agency said Erdogan’s ruling party alliance was hovering around 49.3%, while Kilicdaroglu’s Nation Alliance had around 35.2% and support for a pro-Kurdish party stood above 10%. “That the election results have not been finalized doesn’t change the fact that the nation has chosen us,” Erdogan said. More than 64 million people, including the overseas voters, were eligible to vote and nearly 89% voted. This year marks 100 years since Turkey’s establishment as a republic — a modern, secular state born on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. Voter turnout in Turkey is traditionally strong, despite the government suppressing freedom of expression and assembly over the years and especially since a 2016 coup attempt. Erdogan blamed the failed coup on followers of a former ally, cleric Fethullah Gulen, and initiated a large-scale crackdown on civil servants with alleged links to Gulen and on pro-Kurdish politicians. Erdogan, along with the United Nations, helped mediate a deal with Ukraine and Russia that allowed Ukrainian grain to reach the rest of the world from Black Sea ports despite Russia’s war in Ukraine. The agreement, which is implemented by a center based in Istanbul, is set to expire in days, and Turkey hosted talks last week to keep it alive. But Erdogan also has held up Sweden’s quest to join NATO, contending that nation has been too lenient on followers of the U.S.-based cleric and members of pro-Kurdish groups that Turkey considers national security threats. Critics maintain the president’s heavy-handed style is responsible for a painful cost-of-living crisis. The latest official statistics put inflation at about 44%, down from a high of around 86%. The price of vegetables became a campaign issue for the opposition, which used an onion as a symbol. In contrast with mainstream economic thinking, Erdogan contends that high interest rates fuel inflation, and he pressured the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey to lower its main rate multiple times. Erdogan’s government also faced criticism for its allegedly delayed and stunted response to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that left 11 southern provinces devastated. Lax implementation of building codes is thought to have exacerbated the casualties and misery.