Photo: Collected

DHAKA, Sept 2, 2026 (BSS) - Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence Brigadier General Muhammad Jahed Kamal today called upon officials and employees of the department to properly recognise and evaluate good work to encourage professional excellence and improve the quality of public service.

He made the call while addressing an award and insignia distribution ceremony held at the conference room of the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters in Dhaka this morning.

At the ceremony, the Director General's Commendation was awarded to 40 selected officials and employees for demonstrating exceptional courage and professionalism during rescue and emergency operations across the country.

Besides, representatives of 28 fire stations selected as the best in the country on the basis of various operational and administrative criteria were presented with awards.

The DG also placed rank badges on 14 recently promoted Warehouse Inspectors in the presence of the department's directors.

The programme began with a guard of honour for the Director General upon his arrival at around 10:00am.

Director (Training, Planning and Development) Lt Col M A Zad Anwar, welcomed him. The event formally commenced with recitation from the Holy Quran by religious teacher Qari Sharif Ullah.

Five fire stations each from Dhaka and Chattogram divisions and three stations each from the other divisions received the awards.

A wide range of criteria was considered in selecting the best fire stations, including group-based operational performance such as pump drill, delivery hose layout, donning firefighting suits and breathing apparatus, quick response drills, operation of rescue equipment and ladder climbing.

The assessment also covered joint drills, proper maintenance and preservation of registers, compliance with directives issued by the Director General, implementation of daily routines, fuel accounting, equipment inspection and testing, maintenance and preservation of firefighting equipment, regular public awareness activities and topographic mapping.

The evaluation further included station discipline, implementation of transfer and attachment orders from January 2025 to June 2026, cleanliness of station premises and barracks, and knowledge of using social media, among other criteria.

Three recipients of the Director General's Commendation and one recently promoted officer shared their reactions at the programme.

Assistant Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Rajshahi, Farhad Hossain, expressed gratitude for introducing such an innovative competition and award system.

Newly promoted Warehouse Inspector Khaleda Yasmin expressed her delight at receiving the promotion and thanked the Director General and all concerned officials.

Director (Operations and Maintenance) Lt Col Md Mahmudul Hasan, also spoke at the event and paid tribute to a recently deceased Fire Service driver and an inspector.

Director (Administration and Finance) Md Shahid Atahar Hossain thanked the Director General and highlighted the progress made in various administrative activities of the department.

In his speech as the chief guest, DG Brigadier General Muhammad Jahed Kamal praised Fire Service personnel for their operational performance in responding to various disasters and emergencies across the country.

He directed the department to organise such initiatives regularly to recognise outstanding performance and further enhance the quality of Fire Service operations.

Project directors, the Managing Director of Welfare Trust, deputy directors of the department and different divisions, and officials and employees of all ranks working in Dhaka attended the programme in person.

Officials and employees of different ranks from divisions and districts also joined the event online from their respective workplaces.