Although the fire service’s capacity has increased significantly in the last ten years, it is still not enough when taking the country’s population into consideration, said Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense Director Lt Col Tajul Islam Chowdhury.
He made the comment while speaking at a programme titled “Hygiene and Safety” organised by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) at their Dhaka office, read a press release on Sunday.
The director said, “The government purchased high-tech equipment for fire service. Now, we can easily reach 24 storied buildings to extinguish any fires. Besides, we have enough improvement in the industrial area in terms of fire safety.
“That is why fire incidents and causalities have gone down in the last ten years. We have some limitations because our fire-fighting equipment and human resources are not enough, though the government is trying to improve in that area.”
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said, “Workers’ good health and welfare are important to build a sustainable industry.”
“In recent times, several fires occurred in different markets across Dhaka, and experts thought that short-circuit is the reason for those incidents. As RMG and textile factories are using electric-run machinery, we have to be more aware.”
Faruque continued, “We have asked our workers and owners to inspect their machinery as well as electric cables, switches and other equipment. We also asked to always keep the emergency exit door open, and train workers on what to do during a fire.”
During the programme, BGMEA announced that it will inspect all the member factories’ safety protocols from Sunday to next Saturday, and also inaugurated their public relation and communication department.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan launched the department, where senior journalist and Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) President Mohammad Refayet Ullah Mridha attended the event as a special guest.
