Bid Farewell: Bangladeshi Rescue Team completes tour of duty

On 10th April, a ceremony was held at Tabaung Ground in Nay Pyi Taw to honor the Bangladesh Rescue and Emergency Medical Team who completed their tour of duty in rescue and relief measures at the areas affected by the devastating earthquake and several aftershocks in Myanmar.

The ceremony was inaugurated with the observance of a minute of silence to show sympathy on every individual who lost life and property due to the devastating earthquake on 28th March. It was followed by a speech of Chairman of the National Disaster Management Committee, Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice Senior General Soe Win.

In his speech, the Vice Senior General expressed his appreciations and gratitude to the Bangladesh rescue team for their strenuous efforts and professional abilities in search and rescue measures that saved earthquake victims who trapped under rubbles. As a professional rescue team which has a wealth of expertise and experience, the Bangladesh rescue team also assisted in severe earthquake affected areas in Nepal and Turkiye.

The Vice Senior General also expressed his acknowledgment to rescue members who provided necessary healthcare assistance to the earthquake victims and gave effective advise on damaged building conditions. Then, the Vice Senior General presented honorary certificates and gifts to the Bangladesh Rescue and Emergency Medical team.

A combined team of 55 personnel from Bangladesh arrived in Nay Pyi Taw on April 1. The team included rescue and relief units, medical teams, and structural engineers, equipped with 69 types of modern search and rescue tools to assist with ongoing rescue efforts in the quake-hit areas.

During their tour of duty in Myanmar, the medical team, worked tirelessly at the Nay Pyi Taw Children’s Hospital, providing medical aid to those affected by the disaster from April 1 to April 3. On April 4, they expanded their operations, setting up bases at the Zabuthiri Township Hospital and also moving to Pyinmana District, offering mobile medical services in various towns, including at the People's Hospital in Nay Pyi Taw. In total, the medical team, in collaboration with Myanmar's emergency medical teams, treated 527 patients, including performing four major surgeries.

Similarly, the rescue team also assisted in search operations in areas severely affected by the earthquake. Their joint operation with Myanmar’s Fire Department at the site of a collapsed building at No. 1338, Dhanatheidi Ward, Zabuthiri Township on April 3, resulted in the recovering of a deceased person. On the morning of April 4, the Bangladesh’s engineering team also assisted in clearing and demolishing the dangerous parts of the damaged Central Fire Station building in Zabuthiri Township.

They worked alongside local authorities to assess the risks and provide expert recommendations for further necessary actions. The Bangladesh Rescue and Emergency Medical Team will leave for Bangladesh on 13th April with a relief vessel which will be arrived in Yangon on 11th April.