The Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil Defence (FSCD) is an emergency service that operates under the Security Service Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs in Bangladesh. The department's primary objective is to provide critical public safety services, including fire suppression, emergency medical care, and other essential services.
Firefighters at work in front of the Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil Defence Headquarters building
The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) operates through multiple specialized departments, including Operations, Maintenance, Training, Planning and Development, Administration, and Finance. These departments work in coordination to ensure the effective delivery of emergency response services, fire prevention, disaster preparedness, and technical rescue operations across the country.
In addition to its professional personnel, the FSCD benefits from a robust network of civilian volunteers who support response efforts during disasters and emergencies. As part of its target to prepare 60,000 volunteers, 44,612 individuals had received training as of 2021.[9] More broadly, over 678,000 people have been trained in firefighting and disaster management through 16,966 civilian training courses.
The FSCD is led by a Director General. As of 2021, the leadership hierarchy comprises 3 Directors, 14 Deputy Directors, 29 Assistant Directors, and 77 Deputy Assistant Directors.
Operation
Firefighters in action
The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) undertakes a comprehensive range of emergency response and safety operations across the country. Its core responsibility is fire suppression, with teams trained to quickly respond to fires in urban areas, airports, seaports, and rural communities. Alongside firefighting, the BFSCD performs technical rescues and hazardous materialsmitigation to effectively manage incidents involving dangerous substances and complex rescue scenarios.[10]
Beyond emergency firefighting, the FSCD actively promotes fire prevention through systematic inspections of buildings and facilities to ensure compliance with safety regulations. It enforces hazardous materials safety protocols and provides fire protection management guidance to reduce risks. The department also conducts thorough investigations into the causes of fires to prevent future incidents.
Emergency medical services are integrated into FSCD’s operations, including first-aid education and training for personnel, as well as emergency telephone consultation services to offer immediate medical advice to the public during crises.
Disaster Response Initiatives
In May 2025, the FSCD enhanced its disaster readiness by forming a specialized earthquake response unit in Dhaka, consisting of 60 trained members equipped for rapid deployment during seismic emergencies. Additional 20-member teams are being organized in divisional cities, further strengthening nationwide preparedness. The department also plans to relocate its operational division to Mirpur, Dhaka to improve response coordination and efficiency.[11]
Swift Water Rescue Training
In May 2025, 15 personnel from the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence successfully completed a four-day Swift Water Rescue Training course in Cox's Bazar. Organized by the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, the training aimed to equip participants with the skills necessary to rescue individuals during tidal surges, flash floods, and other water-related emergencies. Practical sessions were conducted at Inani Beach and other coastal locations in Cox’s Bazar, as well as in controlled environments such as swimming pools. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to enhance Bangladesh’s disaster response capabilities, particularly in the context of increasingly frequent climate-induced emergencies.[12]
Station
Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil Defence Headquarters
The department operates from 537 fire stations throughout the country.
9 (Special Category Stations)
95 (A category stations)
314 (B category stations)
8 (B category land and river stations)
100 (C category stations)
11 (River fire stations)
These stations serve as crucial response points in times of fire-related emergencies and enable the department to efficiently carry out its operations. As of 2016, a first-class fire station included 35 firemen, an ambulance, water tenders, water pumps, and about 200 volunteers.[13]
Senior Station Officer/Assistant Instructor/ Officer-In-Charge/Store Officer
Warehouse Inspector
Station Officer/Staff Officer/Junior Instructor/Mobilizing Officer
Sub Officer
Leader
Firefighter/Nursing attendant/Diver
Driver
History
A CMP Ford F15 with No. 11 cab possibly the first unit of the service
The then British government created Fire Service in 1939–40 in undivided India. During the Partition, the Calcutta Fire Service was created for the city of Calcutta at the regional level and the Bengal Fire Service for undivided Bengal. In 1947, the fire service in the region was renamed as the East Pakistan Fire Service.
During World War II, the Department of Civil Defence in India was initially created with Air Raid Precautions (ARP) at an early stage and the Department of Civil Defence at a later stage in 1951 through legal process. For the purpose of work management, a Rescue Department was created under the Roads and Highways Department.
On April 9, 1981, the then Fire Service Directorate and the Civil Defence Department merged to form the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence. Later, the Rescue Department was included in the Department of Fire Service & Civil Defence. FSCD is currently 40 years old.
Fire Incidents and Statistics
The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence responds to thousands of fire-related emergencies annually. The table below summarizes reported fire incidents from 2015 to 2024:
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Bangladesh 
Brigadier General Muhammad Jahed Kamal
