Bangladesh is mainly alluvial deltaic plain divided into three zones, namely hills, terraces and flood plain based on geomorphology and physiographic. The country has an approximate area of 147,570 sq.km. bounded between 20º34´ to 26º38´ N latitude and 88º01´ to 92º 41´ E longitude and has 4,685 km. long boundary unique geographical location in South Asia forming lower part of the basins of three mighty rivers , the Padma (Known as the Ganges in India), the Brahmaputra and the Meghna. Bangladesh with its fragile state of economy depends predominantly on agriculture which has strong linkage with seasonal weather systems. The land is frequently visited by natural hazards of which floods, cyclones with accompanying storm surges, droughts, tornadoes, river-bank erosions and earthquake are the most disastrous to mention. Bangladesh, which is also in close proximity with the Himalayas , have a long history of seismic tremors. Four great earthquakes of magnitude exceeding eight during 1897, 1905, 1934, 1950 and another 10 earthquakes exceeding magnitude belt during the last 100 years . The colossal losses of lives and properties caused by natural disasters with repeated frequency in short intervals make Bangladesh as one of the most disaster prone countries in the world.

DMB is a small dynamic professional unit at national level to perform specialist support functions working in close collaboration with District and Thana–level authorities, and the concerned line ministries under the overall authority of high–level inter-ministerial committee (IMDMCC). It is a technical arm to the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) to overview and co-ordinate all activities related to disaster management from national down to the grass-root level.