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Move to establish modern fire service stations


Published : 24 Jun 2019 09:00 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 10:44 PM

The government is going to construct 11 modern fire service and civil defense stations in areas where more readymade garment factories and textiles are located. Also fire stations will be constructed at two mega projects – Matarbari coal based power plant and Rooppur Nuclear Power Plants. The government will install these modern fire service stations at Dhaka, Chattogram and Pabna region for ensuring fire security and prevent act of arson.

In this regard, the security service division of home ministry has taken up a project titled ‘Establishing of 11 Modern Fire Service and Civil Defense Station Project’ which will be implemented by Department of Fire Service and Civil Defense and Department of Public Works. The project estimate of Tk 629.74 crore will come from the government exchequer. The project will be completed by June 2021.

According to the project proposal, these stations will be established in Ashulia, Gazipur, Konabari, Kasimour, Narayanganj, Sonargaon, Karnaphuli and Khulshi in Chattogram, Moheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar and Ishwardi in Pabna. Dhaka and Chattogram have high concentration of garment factories. Matarbari Coal based power plant in Moheshkhali of Cox’s Bazaar and Rooppur Nuclear Power plant in Pabna are currently under construction. So the authorities concerned have moved to establish fire service stations in these two places.

In 2001, there were 6,051 fire incidents across the country which went up to 18,105 in 2018. Of these, 259 were in textile factories. The loss from the fire at garment industries in the last three years stands at around Tk 4.67 billion. According to the fire department, each new station will be a six-storied building. For the Rooppur Nuclear Plant, there will be a six-storied staff quarter which will be built at a cost of Tk 6.29 billion.

The establishment of fire stations is essential because many textile zones are far away from the closest station and the foreign buyers have put in a pre-condition of proper fire service facilities for buying clothes from Bangladesh. An official of Fire Service and Civil Defense said the work for the modern stations will commence soon. Firstly, the land has to be bought and then, following the proper tender process, work will start.” “These stations will have the special and modern equipment,” he added.