Published: 10:40 AM, 24 September 2026
Ansar-VDP, Fire Service Chiefs discuss coordinated disaster management plan
A courtesy meeting and bilateral discussion were held in a cordial atmosphere today at the headquarters of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force (Ansar-VDP), focusing on coordination in implementing disaster management plans.
Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence Brigadier General Muhammad Zahed Kamal paid a courtesy call on the Director General of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP at the force’s headquarters in Khilgaon, Dhaka.
During the meeting, discussions focused on the potential role of trained members of the Town Defence Party (TDP) volunteer force and digital deployment mechanisms in responding to sudden disasters, including earthquakes and fires, in the capital.
The Ansar-VDP Director General had earlier presented and discussed the broad potential of the force’s extensive volunteer organizational structure in disaster management during a courtesy meeting with Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Asadul Habib Dulu, MP. The discussion took place against the backdrop of ongoing progress in various areas of institutional reform and capacity building within the force.
Against this backdrop, the Ansar-VDP Director General held detailed discussions with the Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence on plans to keep trained TDP volunteers prepared at ward, zone and police-station levels across Dhaka to respond to earthquakes and other sudden disasters.
The two sides also exchanged views on the various factors determining the potential role of the Ansar-VDP volunteer network, as well as an integrated deployment assessment based on the operational capabilities of Fire Service and Civil Defence across Dhaka Division.
Trained volunteers enrolled in the Ansar-VDP digital database would be able to respond rapidly as first responders during disasters and actively participate in rescue operations, relief distribution and other humanitarian rehabilitation activities.
The meeting also held productive discussions on a proposed framework to provide 100,000 TDP volunteers with specialized and advanced training in addition to their basic training, focusing on earthquakes, fires and other sudden disasters.
Through the initiative, plans are underway to establish an effective local disaster response capacity by creating trained volunteer teams in different areas of the capital.
The meeting also emphasized the importance of joint operations by the two forces in maintaining internal security, responding to disasters and dealing with fire emergencies and other emergency situations.
The officials discussed providing training support and exchanging strategic information to enhance professionalism at the field level.
The Directors General of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP and Fire Service and Civil Defence expressed their firm commitment to further strengthening mutual coordination and cooperation in responding to any future national crisis or humanitarian disaster.
They expressed hope that the coordinated initiative would significantly strengthen public safety and help reduce disaster-management risks across the country.
