Earthquake of magnitude 6 could cause widespread collapse in Dhaka

An earthquake shook the entire Bangladesh; Friday morning’s tremor is believed to be the strongest ever felt to date. Experts had long warned about the possibility of such an earthquake.

Professor Mehedi Ahmed Ansary of the Civil Engineering Department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) believes that this quake is a wake-up call for Bangladesh.

The earthquake struck at 10:38 am today. According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, its magnitude on the Richter scale was 5.7. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded it as 5.5. The epicentre was in Madhabdi of Narsingdi at a 10km depth.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Mehedi Ahmed Ansary said that such earthquakes are expected in Bangladesh, and if an earthquake of magnitude 6 strikes, there is a risk that everything could collapse.

Among the major earthquakes in Bangladesh or this region is the devastating quake of 1762. Its magnitude on the Richter scale was 8.5. It is known as the ‘Great Arakan Earthquake,’ affecting many areas of Bangladesh including Chattogram, Feni, and Cumilla. Later, the earthquake in Assam in 1897 measured 8.7.

In 1918, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Balisira valley of Sylhet, and in 1930, Dhubri in Assam experienced a 7.1-magnitude quake.

Mehedi Ahmed Ansary said that major earthquakes tend to recur every 150 years. From that perspective, the time for 7-magnitude earthquakes to return has already come. Therefore, after today’s quake, everyone must remain aware and cautious.

Dhaka city has a total of 2.1 million (21 lakh) buildings. Among them, 600,000 buildings are over six stories tall. The rest are under six stories. He expressed concern that these 600,000 tall buildings would be at the greatest risk in the event of a major earthquake.

Mentioning today’s tremor a warning sign for Bangladesh, professor Ansary said that after the Rana Plaza collapse, garment factory buildings in the country were inspected and categorised as good or bad. Similarly, buildings in the capital now need to be inspected, because many people do not follow building codes during construction.

The World Bank has provided RAJUK with US $180 million to use in earthquake preparedness and various other sectors, but RAJUK does not have the capacity to utilise it, he added.