DHAKA: A six member delegation from the UK, all members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Bangladesh, attended a sharing meeting with the Fire Service and Civil Defense (FSCD) officials at the FSCD Training Complex at Mirpur on September 12.
They also observed an earthquake response drill following the sharing meeting.
The group requested their current visit to Bangladesh solely for the purpose of looking into garment factory conditions in terms of safe working environment, as they plan to publish a report on this issue. The event was jointly organized by FSCD and UK-based INGO Islamic Relief Bangladesh.
The delegation members that attended the sharing session included Anne Main, Rushanara Ali, Nick de Bois, Simon Danczuk, Jonathan Reynolds and Shabana Mahmood.
Shabel Firuz, Country Director of Islamic Relief Bangladesh, and Maria Low, Head of Corporate Business for DFID in Bangladesh, were present on the day along with other key personnel from FSCD and Islamic Relief.
Brigadier General Ali Ahmed Khan, PSC, Director General of FSCD, welcomed the participants as he said in his speech, ‘development partners including Islamic Relief have been helping us to develop our capacity in preparedness on earthquake ’. He thanked the delegation to pay their visit in Bangladesh.
In the sharing session, Major Shakil Ahmed, Project Director of FSCD made a presentation on the overall interventions of FSCD as the first responders in emergencies. He also presented the current hazard scenario of the garments sector and the initiatives that the FSCD has undertaken trying to ensure safe working environment for the garments workers.
He also mentioned about UK based donor supports to the disaster risk reduction programme in Bangladesh. He made suggestions to the delegation team for joint exercise and exchange programme between UK and Bangladesh on urban emergency response.
On behalf of the APPG delegation, Anne Main, MP appreciated different initiatives from the NGO sector, with special mention of Islamic Relief Bangladesh for their continuous coordination with FSCD for developing urban volunteers, support in different national level events and in emergencies.
‘We are working cooperatively to strengthen Bangladesh capacity in DRR’- she said.
In her speech Rushanara Ali, MP said, “Garment workers are very vulnerable to disaster especially on earthquake, we need to work together to reduce their risk”.
“We will recommend the UK government to continue our long term partnership with Bangladesh”-she added.
Shabel Firuz, Country Director Islamic Relief thanked the delegation team and expressed his gratitude to FSCD for their efforts as he said, ‘UK Government is very generous to help the people of Bangladesh’.’ Investment in DRR especially in preparedness interventions can reduce the casualties of disaster-he added.
He expressed hopes to further build up on the partnership between IRB and FSCD to jointly work for strengthening community preparedness and emergency response.
Following the sharing session, the delegation team observed an earthquake response simulation drill arranged by FSCD on their training venue where volunteers and FSCD officials jointly participated. At the end of the event, the visitors appreciated the efforts of FSCD.
BDST: 1246 HRS, SEP 14, 2013
AKA/BSK
