Drives against illegal Dhaka buildings from next week

The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence will be starting a joint operation with the city corporations against illegal buildings in the capital next week.

“It takes some time to implement anything. We will go first where the laws are not followed or fire safety is not ensured. Others are priorities of other departments. But we have to look at my jurisdiction and my priorities,” said Brig Gen Md Main Uddin, director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence, at a press briefing its headquarters on Wednesday. The event was arranged to share experience of the rescue team sent to Turkey after the earthquake.

Citing the experts’ fear that earthquakes might occur in Bangladesh, the fire service chief said they have to be prepared for such disaster and working to identify the buildings which are not as per the prescribed building code, and take necessary action.

The fire service is trying to implement mobile courts jointly with city corporations and Rajuk within their jurisdiction, he said.

Replying another question, Gen Main Uddin said they have more than 90 per cent required fire-fighting and rescue tools.

He said that all of their 14,000 staff are trained and they have targeted to create 62,000 more volunteers to deal with major disasters.

Team leader of rescue team in Turkey, Dinmoni Sharma, deputy director of Dhaka division, said that the experience of working abroad was completely new for them. Hundreds of buildings have collapsed there like Rana Plaza, he said.

“We have conducted rescue operations in total 11 buildings in two provinces.”

He said the Turkey experience would help them in carrying out similar operations in Bangladesh.