PM opens 20 fire stations, 6 passport offices, women jail, LPG station

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today inaugurated 20 newly-constructed fire service stations, six regional passport offices, women central jail and an LPG station for cooking in jail.

She joined the opening ceremony virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan gave welcome speech from Fire Service and Civil Defence Department in city's Kazi Alauddin Road while Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Kaikaus conducted the ceremony at Ganabhaban.

The Prime Minister said fire damages livelihood and properties but there were no fire stations in all areas earlier.

"We have taken schemes to construct fire service stations in every upazila and such fire stations have already been constructed in 457 upazilas," she added.

Sheikh Hasina said the government would also build fire stations even in the large unions and hard-to-reach areas to ensure safety of the people.

She said they have set up a separate burn unit in Dhaka Medical College Hospital while work is going on for it at the district and upazila levels. "We are working to secure people's life," she added.

Referring to the recent rescue of four students who went missing in Himchhari by air force through a call from 999, the premier said the government wanted to make the fire service and civil defence as modern force.

Pointing out the painful jail life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina said her government has taken all necessary steps to modernize the jails and turned those into centre for changing mentality and behavior of the prisoners.

She said members of the family of the jailed persons have no fault but they suffer due to the imprisonment of their near and dear ones.

Keeping this in mind, the government has brought necessary changes in the jails of the country and is providing training to the imprisoned persons so they could earn money working in jail, she said.

The Prime Minister said they have taken steps for virtual courts and the Keraniganj Jail courtroom has been prepared. In this way, courtrooms will be established at district level jails so cases can be run through online, she added.

She said steps are being taken to introduce hearing in virtual courts using digital technology to lessen sufferings of justice seekers.

In this connection, the premier said, all laws and cause list of cases will be known from online and the government is taking steps to complete everything in a planned manner.

She also mentioned that steps have been taken to publish Bangla translation of the verdicts of cases which is given in English.

About the LPG station for jail, Sheikh Hasina said cooking by burning wood causes harm to environment and that is why the government has set up this LPG station to lessen the adverse impact of climate change.