fire service and civil defence
Engage people to enhance capacity: PM Hasina to Firefighters
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked the Fire Service and Civil Defence to focus on boosting the capacity by engaging the common people in its operations.
“You should strengthen the disaster prevention system by raising public awareness, enhancing the capacity of the Fire Service and Civil Defence through greater involvement of the common people in its work,” she said. "This will also boost the morale of the members "
The premier was addressing the opening ceremony of Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) Week-2022, held at FSCD Training Complex in the city's Mirpur-10 area, through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganabhaban.
The week is being observed throughout the country aiming to create mass awareness to prevent fire incidents and other natural and manmade disasters.
Read more: Bangladesh committed to path of sustainable development
Hasina asked the FSCD members to keep these goals in mind while observing the fire service week 2022.
She said everyone should get fire safety training in a bid to protect their lives in case of fire incidents.
“I think it is very essential to impart training to all from their childhood --our children and housewives– over how to protect themselves in case of fire incidents,” she said.
Focusing on the actions implemented by her government to modernise the Fire Service and Civil Defence, the PM said, “We’ve been able to take the institution, which was once neglected, to a dignified position now in line with the demand of time.”
Sheikh Hasina said the government has improved the FSCD significantly in the last 14 years in terms of its service standard and safety and dignity of its members.
She said her government took different steps to make the firefighters as a time-befitting force and expand its services further. “We’ve taken measures to transform the fire service into an institute so that it would have full capacity and could deliver the highest services,” she said.
The PM said the implementation of her government’s commitment to set up at least a fire station in each upazila is going to be completed.
She said the government has taken initiative to set up Bangabandhu Fire Academy aiming at imparting high quality training to the firefighters. A total of 1,184 fire service officers and employees have so far given foreign training, she added.
The FSCD manpower was increased to 14,443 now from 6,175 ones in 2008, while the number of fire stations to 491 ones (from 204 ones in 2008). More 52 stations will be opened soon, she said, adding that the number of the stations would cross 700 when the existing projects are completed.
Read more: Grow more food, keep enough stock to avert any crisis: PM Hasina
Talking about different modern equipment inducted to the FSCD mechanical fleet, the PM said they have purchased a huge quantity of modern and world standard fire dousing and rescue equipment to enhance the capacity of the Fire Service and Civil Defence.
She said her government procured a total of 26 small and large Turntable Ladder (TTL) vehicles including five world-highest 68-metre TTL vehicles for the fleet of the fire service.
The 68-metre-high TTL vehicles have recently been added to the mechanical fleet of FSCD in a bid to tackle high-rise fire incidents as their ladders can expand up to 24 floors of multi-storied buildings, with a large-capacity to fight fire hazards.
The PM said the fire service has been equipped with two remote control fire fighting vehicles while 24 rescue boats and 10 fire floats were purchased to strengthen operational capacity on water way.
She said the government has a plan to introduce a lifetime ration for firefighters.
Noting that the government had earlier donated Tk 20 crore to the Welfare Trust Fund of Fire Service Staff, Hasina announced that she would donate more Tk 20 crore to the Welfare Trust as the number of its members has increased.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Secretary of Security Service Division Abdullah Al Masud Chowdhury and Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brig Gen Md Main Uddin spoke on the occasion.
On behalf of the PM, the home minister handed over the Fire Service and Civil Defence Medal-2022 to 45 firefighters and relatives of 13 firefighters who were killed in the recent BM Container Depot fire at Sitakunda.
A smartly-turned out FSCD contingent, led by parade commander Anwarul Haque presented salute to the prime minister.
Fire at shoe factory in city under control
A fire that broke out at a shoe factory at South Banasree in the city Monday morning has been brought under control.
The fire broke out at the factory of 'Roxy Sandal' around 10:45 am, said Md Shahjahan Shikdar, Deputy assistant director (media cell) of Fire Service and Civil Defence.
Read:4 burnt in city fire
On information, four units of fire tenders from Khilgaon and Tejgaon fire stations rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control around 11:35 am, he added.
The origin of the fire is yet to be known, he said.
Fire breaks out at Lalbagh building
A fire broke out at a building in the city’s Lalbagh area early on Thursday morning, officials said.
According to Fire Service and Civil Defence, the fire broke out on the fourth floor of the six-story building adjacent to Tajmahal Tower around 6am.
Read: 4 of a family burnt in Dhaka ‘gas leak’ fire
On information, five firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control in an hour.
Fortunately, there were no casualties. "A probe is on to ascertain the exact cause of the fire," an official said.
Crack develops in pillar of a 15-storey building in Motijheel
A crack was found in a pillar on the third floor of Modern Mansion, a 15-storey building in Motijheel on Sunday.
The locals reported the crack around 6:58 pm, Shahjahan Shikdar, Deputy assistant director (media cell) of Fire Service and Civil Defence.
Read:Commuters hassled as cracks shut Bahaddarhat flyover in Ctg
A search and rescue team of Fire Service and Civil Defence completed an inspection of the building at 9:40 pm.
The building was evacuated immediately.
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) have been informed, and they may take further action in this regard, said the Fire Service official.
Fire at easy-bike factory in Uttara doused
The fire that broke out at an easy-bike manufacturing factory in the city's Uttara area Thursday afternoon was doused after around one and a half hour by the fire fighters.
The fire broke out around 12.35 pm at the tin-shed factory in Baunia Bottola, said Shahjahan Shikdar, deputy assistant director (media cell) of the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters.
Read: Dhaka highrise fire doused, no casualties
On information three fire tenders rushed to the spot around 12.55pm and they brought the blaze under control within one hour, he said.
"A probe has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the fire," said Shahjahan.
Fire breaks out at Banani building; 2 girls dead
Two girls were burned to death and a woman was injured seriously when a fire broke out at a building in the city's Banani area early Monday.
The deceased were identified as Mim, 16, and Swapna, 14.
Read:Probe committee formed over Chairman Bari fire
Mohammad Raihanul, station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters, said the fire broke out around 1:56 am on the 3rd floor of the 10-storey building and spread around soon.
On information, four firefighting units rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze around 2:40 am.
The fire service men rescued three people from the building and took them to Dhaka Metropolitan Hospital where doctors declared Mim and Swapna dead, said Noor-E-Azam Mia, officer-in-charge of Banani Police Station.
Read:Banani warehouse fire doused after 10 hrs
Another woman, Rinta, 30, suffered serious burn injuries, and is undergoing treatment at the hospital.
However, it is still not clear what caused the fire, said police.
Probe committee formed over Chairman Bari fire
A four-member probe committee has been formed Sunday over the large fire in Chairman Bari yesterday that took 10 hours to put out.
DAD of Fire Service and Civil Defence Shahjahan Sikder at the headquarters said that the committee has been directed to submit the investigation report within seven working days.
Read:Banani warehouse fire doused after 10 hrs
Deputy Director (Development) Noor Hasan Ahmed was made president and Deputy Assistant Director Niaz Ahmed as secretary of the committee. Two other members of the committee include senior station officer of Tejgaon Fire Station and warehouse inspector of the concerned area.
On Saturday morning a massive fire broke out at a six-storey building in Banai’s Chairman Bari area. Eleven units of fire service, later three units from the Bangladesh Army and the Navy joined together and managed to put out the fire after 10 hours of effort.
Read: Fire breaks out at a bakery in city’s Nawabpur
Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
Leather factory in Narayanganj catches fire
Barely one month after a deadly fire at a factory at Bhulta Karnagop in Narayanganj’s Rupganj that claimed the lives of 52 people, another factory in Narayanganj caught fire on Wednesday.
Raihanul Islam, station officer (media) at the headquarters of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the fire broke out at Ruposhi United Leather Factory around 12:14 pm.
Read: Massive fire breaks out in Magura plywood factory
On information, 14 firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control around 2:30 pm.
However, no casualty was reported till the filing of the report around 3:15 pm.
Lack of accountability behind recurring factory fires: GM Quader
Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader on Sunday alleged that there is no let-up in factory fires and deaths of workers in the country for lack of monitoring and accountability of the authorities concerned.
“Even in the 50 years of independence, the lives of the factory workers are not safe in this country. Every year many workers die in factory fires,” he said in a statement.
Read: Rupganj factory fire: Claimants found for 40 bodies out of 48, after 56 families submit DNA samples
The Jatiya Party chief said many buildings are not constructed in accordance with the building code while the factories are not built maintaining the specific policies.
“The factories don’t have the necessary equipment to prevent fires. There’s no monitoring and minimum accountability of those responsible. So, the workers can’t save their lives when any factory catches fire,” he observed.
GM Quader, also the deputy opposition leader in parliament, said an investigation committee is formed after each fire incident and the report also contains some recommendations.
Read: PM monitoring developments after factory fire in Rupganj: Quader
“Sometimes people know about it (report), sometimes it remains a secret. The recommendations are hardly implemented. In most cases, those responsible (for the fire incidents) get out through the loopholes of the law. So, the fire incidents and the processions of death are not stopping,” he alleged.
Referring to the data of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, the Jatiya Party chairman said 2,317 people were killed and 12,374 others injured in fire incidents across the country in the last 15 years. “A large part of them are working-class people.”
He recalled that 117 garment workers at the Tazreen Fashion garment factory at Ashulia were burnt to death and more than 200 others injured in the deadliest fire in the country’s history on November 24, 2012.
Read:Rupganj fire: Sajeeb Group chairman, sons among 8 put on remand
“The deaths of bread-earners in each fire incident causes a humanitarian catastrophe in their poverty-stricken families,” Quader bemoaned.
He said the government must take strong steps right now to reduce fire incidents and save the lives of workers.
Moghbazar blast: Police file case against unknown persons
Police on Tuesday lodged a case against unidentified persons for causing death due to negligence in connection with the blast in Moghbazar.
An FIR in the case was filed at the Ramna police station on a complaint by sub-inspector Rezzaul Karim, Officer-in-charge Monirul Islam told UNB.
Read:Police announce committee to probe the Moghbazar explosion
Eight people were killed and more than 66 others injured after a powerful explosion ripped through a building near Moghbazar Wireless Gate on Sunday evening.
The next day, police formed a seven-member committee to investigate the blast.
Read:Moghbazar blast: Police to form probe body , IGP refuses to draw early conclusion
Additional police commissioner of Counter Terrorism and Transnationals Crime (CTTC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) will head the committee, the Bangladesh Police Headquarters said in a release on Monday.
The committee has been asked to investigate the explosion and recommend prevention of such incidents in future. It will also coordinate with the committee formed by the Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the release.
Read:Moghbazar blast: Death toll climbs to 8, fire service confirms 3
Earlier that day, Brig. Gen. Md Sazzad Hussain, director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said that they had formed a five-member committee to investigate the explosion.
Both the committees have seven working days to submit their reports.