A 7.1 magnitude earthquake felt in Dhaka and other parts of the country on Tuesday morning reminded us how much are we prepared for a devastating earthquake that may play havoc on Bangladesh any time in the future? Though 7.1 magnitude earthquake had its epicentre near the Nepal-Tibet border and left over 95 dead, no damage or casualties have been reported in Bangladesh till yesterday evening.
Naturally, Bangladesh is an earthquake-prone country, with its capital, Dhaka, ranking among the 20 most vulnerable cities globally to earthquakes. Our country's position at the collision zone of tectonic plates with several active fault lines, places it significantly at risk.
This is why Bangladesh experiences earthquakes every now and then. Since early 2024 until now, at least 60 mild to moderate earthquakes have been recorded, with three above magnitude 4.0 and around 31 ranged between 3.0 and 4.0 magnitude. Historically, the region has experienced devastating earthquakes, with five major events taking place between 1869 and 1930 above the Richter scale 7.0.
Since then, there have been no major earthquakes in Bangladesh. Experts say, such long gap could cause a major seismic upheaval. So, our country awaits a strong earthquake sometime.
But we are not prepared for any strong earthquake which could bring destructions to the nation. This is mainly due to unplanned urbanisation in the capital and other major cities over the last few decades. It has created a chaotic and congested concrete jungle where most of the buildings are not earthquake-proof. Many ramshackle structures would just collapse to the earth in the blink of an eye.
Recently, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) has sounded a warning for pre-emptive measures. Its survey predicted that nearly three lakh buildings may collapse in an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 originating in the fault line that lies in Tangail. The death toll has been estimated to be at least two lakh with damage to properties remaining unaccounted for.
How to face such apocalyptic catastrophe if an earthquake occurs in Bangladesh with a magnitude of over 7 on the Richter scale is not clear. According to experts, it will be like just beyond imagination.
Although it is late, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR) launched an earthquake risk assessment in March 2024. Earlier, the government also carried out risk assessment and mapping for earthquakes in major cities including Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet and established many earthquake observation centers and installed specialised equipment to detect tremors in vulnerable locations.
The recent earthquake risk assessment conducted last year identified some key significant shortcomings including fragile infrastructure, flawed urban planning and lack of public awareness. It points to the fact that hospitals, emergency response centres and government offices are among the structures requiring urgent retrofitting to withstand seismic shocks.
We urge the government to list all kinds of structures which are vulnerable to strong earthquakes and demolish them in order to carry out smooth rescue operations during the disasters
