The Director General of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force and the Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence have discussed strengthening coordination between the two forces to improve disaster preparedness and emergency response in Dhaka.
Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brigadier General Muhammad Zahed Kamal paid a courtesy visit to the Ansar and VDP headquarters in Khilgaon, Dhaka, on Tuesday and held a bilateral meeting with the Ansar-VDP Director General.
The meeting focused on the potential role of trained Town Defence Party (TDP) volunteers in responding to earthquakes, fires and other sudden disasters in the capital, as well as plans for their digital deployment.
The Ansar-VDP Director General briefed the Fire Service chief on the force's ongoing reforms and capacity-building initiatives and highlighted the potential of its extensive volunteer network in disaster management.
The two sides discussed a plan to keep trained TDP volunteers ready at ward, zone and police station levels across Dhaka to ensure a rapid response during earthquakes and other emergencies.
They also exchanged views on the possible deployment of Ansar-VDP volunteers in coordination with Fire Service units in different parts of Dhaka division.
According to the plan, trained volunteers listed in the Ansar-VDP digital database could serve as first responders during emergencies. They would assist with rescue operations, relief distribution and other humanitarian and rehabilitation activities.
The meeting also discussed a proposal to provide specialised and advanced training to 100,000 TDP volunteers in addition to their basic training. The specialised training would cover earthquake response, fire emergencies and other sudden disasters.
The initiative aims to establish an effective local disaster-response capacity by maintaining trained volunteers in different parts of the capital.
The two sides also stressed the importance of joint efforts in maintaining internal security, responding to disasters, firefighting and handling other emergency situations.
They discussed training support, professional capacity-building at the field level and the exchange of strategic information to improve coordination between the two forces.
The Director Generals of Ansar-VDP and Fire Service and Civil Defence expressed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation during national crises and humanitarian emergencies.
They hoped that the coordinated initiative would contribute to improving public safety and reducing disaster-management risks in the country.
