Bangladesh’s Fire Service and Civil Defence will get a new, earthquake-resistant headquarters in Dhaka, with construction formally launched on 20 January under a Japan-funded urban safety project.
The facility, to be built under the Urban Building Safety Project with official development assistance from the government of Japan, will be the first building in Bangladesh to use base isolation technology, designed to keep emergency operations running during major earthquakes, JICA said in a press release.
Construction of the headquarters is expected to strengthen coordination, rescue operations and rapid emergency response during disasters such as earthquakes and urban fires, the release said.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by senior government officials, including the secretary of the ministry of housing and public works, the chief engineer of the public works department, the director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence, and the first secretary of the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh. Ichiguchi Tomohide, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Bangladesh, also attended the event, according to the release.
Rapid urbanisation has increased the responsibility to equip emergency services with modern and resilient infrastructure, Ichiguchi Tomohide said, describing the new headquarters as a strategic national investment in public safety and disaster response readiness.
He said the headquarters would function as a central command facility to ensure effective coordination and faster response during emergencies, including earthquakes and urban fires.
The base isolation technology, widely used in Japan, is expected to enhance structural safety, ensure continuity of essential services during disasters and serve as a model for future disaster-resilient public infrastructure in Bangladesh, the release said.
The Urban Building Safety Project was conceived after the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse to address critical gaps in building safety and emergency preparedness.
Alongside infrastructure development, JICA is supporting capacity building, training programmes and the strengthening of regulatory frameworks through related initiatives aimed at improving long-term safety standards, the release said.
The project reflects the long-standing development partnership between Bangladesh and Japan, with continued support for disaster risk reduction and resilient urban development, JICA added.
