There is no fire service station in Gulshan and Banani areas which sometimes causes delay in firefighters reaching those areas of the capital, said the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence.

However, yesterday they managed to reach within 10 minutes of receiving the call. But there were other impediments to dousing the fire.

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Even though the fire service managed to reach quickly, the need for a station around the neighbourhood is imminent as unfavourable conditions could delay the response time in future. 

Officials said they wrote to the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) to allot spaces to establish firefighting stations in those areas but did not get any response.

"We wrote to the mayors of both city corporations but did not get any response. I will submit it to the [DNCC] mayor again today," Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General (DG) Brigadier General Md Main Uddin, told The Daily Star today.

He said the fire department wrote to the DNCC to allot a space even as tiny as 30/50 feet to set up a satellite firefighting station in Gulshan and Banani areas.

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Contacted, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam said the city corporation does not have any land to allocate and it is Rajuk that allots plots.

"The fire department should write to Rajuk, not the city corporation."

Brig Gen (retd) Ali Ahmed Khan, managing director of Risk and Performance Management Limited and also former DG of the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said as there is no fire station in Gulshan and Banani areas, firefighting units from Bhatara are the ones who respond if there is a fire incident in those areas which requires quite a long time.

Fire service officials said there are around 20 fire stations in Dhaka north and south city corporation areas.