The first seminar of the “Permanent Expert Panel,” formed under the initiative of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate, was held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. The seminar took place from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the conference hall of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate.

Leading engineers, architects, disaster management experts, academics and media representatives from across the country participated in the seminar. The event was inaugurated by the Director General of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate, Brigadier General Muhammad Zahed Kamal, NDC, AFWC, PSC.

The keynote presentation was delivered by the Director (Operation and Prevention) of the Directorate, Brigadier General Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, SGP, PSC. Later, the Director General himself moderated the seminar.

He highlighted the current capabilities of the Fire Service, preparedness for earthquake response, rapid urbanization, industrialization, high-risk buildings, chemical management and the need for strengthening national disaster preparedness. He also invited expert opinions on these critical issues.

The experts compared Bangladesh’s fire and disaster response capacity with that of developed countries and pointed out limitations in manpower and overall preparedness. They recommended enhancing the operational capacity of the Fire Service and Civil Defence by identifying gap areas and conducting area-based risk assessments.

It was suggested that fire hydrant connections be installed at all WASA pump stations for Fire Service use. Emphasis was placed on identifying earthquake-vulnerable government buildings and making them earthquake-resistant. To address the shortage of land for new urban fire stations, the experts also proposed using the ground floors of various government buildings as fire stations.

Other recommendations included increasing manpower, conducting regular drills, organizing joint exercises on post-earthquake response, establishing a Fire Academy, strengthening public awareness activities, and introducing disaster-related training and evaluation programs in educational institutions.

Speakers at the seminar included Professor Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, Vice-Chancellor of Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET); Professor Dr. Zillur Rahman, Department of Disaster Science, University of Dhaka; former Director General of the Fire Service Brigadier General (Retd.) Abu Naim; Architect Ikrar Hasib, Vice President of Safety Awareness Foundation; former Director General Brigadier General (Retd.) Ali Ahmed Khan; and Harun Ur Rashid, Executive Editor of Ekushey Television, among others.

The seminar emphasized the crucial role of the “Permanent Expert Panel” in strengthening national capacity to deal with earthquakes, fires and other disasters.If you want, I can also provide.