M.Mizanur Rahman :
Civil defence is one of the most essential government departments under the ministry of Home Affairs in Bangladesh provided the government made it organized seriously for the overall security of each individual citizen in the country.
One should know that it is the people of the country, irrespective of their different social, religious and political opinions or faiths must have the security of life. As a citizen of the independent country one must have honor that must pay respect to law and order and individual human rights accordingly.
Hence every independent country needs law-abiding citizens to avoid unsocial activities of the persons concerned. In order to eradicate the ignorance of law of the land the people must be made to learn it in an organized manner. This is possible during peacetime provided the people are made aware of it in an organization like Civil Defence throughout the country. This may be organized at every nook and corner of our country among the people without social, religious and political discrimination.
The organization of such civil defence run by the people voluntarily is needed most for the social and personal security of each individual citizen of the state.
One must remember that it is not only to organize for war. But if it is strongly organized throughout the country it would work very efficiently during peace time also. The people need it to maintain peace.
There’s no dearth of efficient and intelligent young volunteers in our country to join such civil defence Volunteer Corps during peace time provided they are given proper training. It can work for personal security as well as the security of the people within their respective areas. They are to work according to working chart of the Warden Service organization of Civil Defence under local administration of the Divisional Commissioner in divisional level, Deputy Commissioner in District level and so on up to Upazilla Level. But the overall formal administration lies under the Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence Department, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Here overall confidence must lie on the people irrespective of their social, religious and political faiths without any discrimination in respective areas concerned. The Civil Defence Department must have a new look under the present day condition of the country. It’s the sooner the better. Even at war the Civil Defense would render most valuable services in the interest of the people at large.
Fire Service is one of the most important organizations of Civil Defence services to the nation beside rescue and other essential social services required both in peace as well as at war time. Fire Service is alert always around twenty four hours to render essential remedial services to the affected people where fire breaks out and douse the fire within no time. Not only that the Fire Service personnel render rescue service and first aid to the affected people at the risk of their own lives. We are yet to appreciate their magnanimous services. Allah loves them who render services to the people at the risk of their own lives. Let’s have a brief history of Civil Defence and Fire Service-
This world of ours experienced man-made two disastrous World Wars from 1914 to1918 and 1939 to 1945. The very ferocity of these two man-made wars devours a few millions of human lives. In which both high explosive and incendiary bombs used to kill human beings and destroy huge properties. Even the human killer could not quench his thirst by killing human beings by conventional weapons, but he used nuclear weapons. These were nominal size atom bombs might be experimentally that how many millions of people die of these two monsters of human civilization. There were not only hazardous devastating fires along with atomic radiation (Gama Rays) that pierced through the human bodies exposed before it. These were the fiercest devastating modern Air-Warfare the history of mankind had ever witnessed.
However, Air Raid Precaution or Civil Defence came into force in the First World War (1914-1918). During this period German Zeppelin Aero planes bombarded Dover Royal Palace and thereafter in London on and on at night time. Since British government introduced black-out in London and activated Civil Defence Services there. At times lighting restriction at night remained compulsory due to German Air Raid took place there at night. In the Second World War German took more aggressive stance against the allied forces. German (government) under Adolf Hitler wanted to use poisonous gas against her enemies but the Geneva Anti-Gas Act-1925 desisted German from using poisonous Gas at War.
Fire Service in London at that time got a tremendous importance owing to the intensity of enemy air attacks. About 50 thousand volunteers joined Auxiliary Fire Service in London. Later these volunteers were made permanent paid government servants. The Author of “Civil Defence” Terrence O Brien wrote, “…As soon as new Volunteers were recruited, it was vital to maintain their enthusiasm and train them quickly. Auxiliary Firemen would have to be able to handle power appliances to enter a burning building and withstand punishing heat and smoke and to carry an insensible person down a ladder, they might at any time have to cope with a situation where the safety of members of the public or their comrades depended on their strength, then endurance and their skill and judgment.”
In peace time the Civil Defence volunteers can do a lot in identifying miscreants and anti-social elements that appear to have been engaged in anti-social activities against the people within the vicinity of their neighborhood. Let the government take up the matter at right earnest for the interest of the state. For the security and peace of this nation eternal vigilance must be maintained by the people united. The people should never be misunderstood and misled. Unity is strength to have eternal vigilance essentially required by the state.
We may recall a few lines of Rudyard Keepling towards concluding this article-
“… Nations have passed away
and left no traces.
History gives only reason of it
in all cases-
that their peoples were not fit.
So for God’s sake be fit, be fit…”
