Be it the capital or a rural upazila, complete, rules-abiding infrastructure is often absent in Bangladesh; and such is the case in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia. Despite graduating from being a thana back in 1983, the upazila reportedly still lacks something as essential as its own fire service station. Whenever there is a fire, it is up to the local community to try to put it out while waiting for the Bheramara Fire Station firefighters to arrive from the next upazila 20 kilometres away. Ironically, in a country that wants to digitise everything and centralise its capital accordingly, it is frustratingly common to see rural areas lacking the most essential services.
The first initiative to construct a fire station in Daulatpur took place in 2009, via the acquisition of a portion of land. That went nowhere. In 2022, in a different area, 82 decimals of land were allocated for the purpose of building a fire station. But after failing to acquire fire service vehicles for the station, the project was stumped yet again. The land now consists of a pond and a sign indicating the purpose of the land. Meanwhile, without dedicated local fire services, the residents of this upazila have to count tens of lakhs in losses each year.
It is unacceptable that commercial activities (such as MFS transactions) can reach these areas of the country before essential services do. The reasons behind the delay in establishing a fire services station signal inefficiency, as is usually the case with public projects. Reportedly, in addition to the 82 decimals of land, another 18 decimals—adjacent to the existing plot—were acquired earlier this month from the district administration’s vested properties. Given that a project director is already appointed and the tender process may begin soon, officials believe the Daulatpur fire station may be built into existence soon.
We hope for the same and urge relevant authorities to ensure that no further inefficiencies and unreasonable delays occur regarding the implementation of this necessary project. Across the country, at least 27 upazilas lack essential fire stations while 250 posts for firefighters and drivers remain vacant, and the government is reportedly working on filling this critical gap. We urge that this initiative is taken seriously and completed sincerely. The absence of a dedicated fire station in any upazila means that lives and livelihoods are at deadly risk each day, and no government should treat such a gap lightly or let it exist for decades.
