DHAKA, Jan 27, 2025 (BSS) – The Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) has intensified a nationwide blaze control campaign as the dry winter season creates extra scopes for ignition of deadly infernos, officials said today.

   “We are carrying out various awareness programmes for fire safety and operating mobile courts against violation of fire laws and rules across the country,” fire service spokesman M Shahjahan Sikder told BSS.

   Sikder, who is FSCD’s senior staff officer tasked to run its media wing, said the fire fighters throughout the country were staging fire drills in different public and private establishments, impart training to government employees and ordinary people and distributing leaflets.

   He said the FSCD campaign was also focused on schools and higher educational institutions, multi-storied residential and commercial buildings, shopping malls and market places, factories and slums. 

  “Since we believe prevention is better than cure, we usually chose the crowded places or establishments for our training sessions to mimimise fire incidents and inferno damage through precautionary measures by people themselves,” Sikdar said.

   He said fire service inspectors regularly inspect various establishments including factories and serve notices to comply with the fire safety rules in cases where safety measures are found inadequate. 

   Sikder said the fire service encourages people to keep necessary fire extinguishers at their households or business establishments and take prompt actions to douse the flame and call fire fighters immediately after a fire breakout. 

   The official said in collaborations with RAJUK in the capital and district and upazila administrations across the country, FSCD was operating mobile courts to enforce the laws and rules related to fire and ensure their compliance. 

   “So far, a total of 37 mobile courts have been operated across the country in January alone this year,” he said adding an amount of Taka 41.65 lakh was realized during the magisterial drives against inadequate fire safety in various establishments.

  Sikder, however, said most of the mobile courts operated in Dhaka division engaging magistrates of the RAJUK, district and upazila administrations since the FSCD does not have any magistrate of their own.

   “Commercial and industrial establishments and complexes are a major focus of the campaign as fire accidents increase especially during winter,” he said.

   According to fire experts winter is a perfect time for massive fire to ignite so the season demands extra safety measures though but it is important to practice fire safety year-round to prevent wildfires.