Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has said the government is implementing various realistic programmes to increase the overall capacity of the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence aiming at building a safe Bangladesh.

We want at least one fire station at every upazila and as part of the initiative we are setting up 129 new fire stations in the country, the minister said.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said this while inaugurating the week-long programme of Fire Service and Civil Defence Week-2020 through video conference at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Training Complex at Mirpur-10 on Thursday.

The present government has increased the number of fire stations to 436 from 206.  After setting up 129 new fire stations, the number will reach 565. Besides, the government has a plan to set up 11 modern fire stations in the country, he said.

Fire Service and Civil Defence Week began on Thursday across the country aiming to create mass awareness about natural and manmade disasters including fire incidents.

Fire Service and Civil Defence has taken elaborate programmes to observe the week with a theme “Training planning preparation; will bring quickness in facing disasters”.

On the occasion, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages greeting the Fire Service and Civil Defence officials and wished all the programmes of the week a success.