Experts are said to have warned the Bangladeshi government that strong earthquake tremors could be ahead and that failure to act now could lead to greater losses. They also called on the Bangladeshi government to take immediate action after the earthquake killed at least 10 people in the country.
A 5.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday morning left at least 10 dead and extensive damage to buildings, mostly in central parts of Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka.
Three earthquakes of moderate intensity also shook the country on Saturday. Friday’s earthquake “revealed Dhaka’s fragility,” according to a report published in The Daily Star on Sunday.
The Dhaka district administration confirmed at least 14 buildings were damaged, while Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) put the number at more than 50. Officials said the number was expected to rise as inspections continued.
“We are still working. Many more buildings will be identified,” the paper quoted Rajuk chairman Md Riazul Islam as saying.
Experts warn
Professor Mehedi Ahmed Ansary of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Department of Civil Engineering said damaged buildings must be immediately assessed and prioritized according to risk.
He warned that a stronger earthquake could trigger catastrophic collapses, adding that early action could avert greater losses.
“I think these (recent) earthquakes are a harbinger of a bigger one. We have to be prepared for that,” Ansary said.
Dhaka is one of the 20 most earthquake-prone cities in the world
Dhaka is considered one of the 20 most earthquake-prone cities in the world, with a very dense population and a huge number of dilapidated buildings, many of which are in the old part of the capital.
The area has a long history of strong earthquakes, with five major earthquakes between 1869 and 1930 measuring over 7.0 on the Richter scale.
Experts have long warned that Bangladesh could soon suffer a major earthquake because it lies on a collision zone of major tectonic plates, crossed by several active fault lines, putting the country at high seismic risk.
Ansary recommended that Rajuk issue public notices urging homeowners to assess their buildings and submit structural reports, which experts could then review for further guidance.
Although visible damage remains limited, he warned that many buildings may have suffered internal stresses.
In 2022, Rajuk identified 42 buildings in Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj as being at immediate risk and ordered evacuation and demolition within three months. Another 187 required retrofitting. However, most of the directives remain unimplemented, the newspaper reported.
High-risk buildings include buildings owned by the government and autonomous bodies such as Education Engineering Department, Health Education Department, LGED, Jagannath University, Dhaka University, Bangladesh Madrasah Board of Education, Institute of Leather Technology and Bangladesh Medical University Hospital.
Asked about the suspended actions, Chairman Rajuk Islam said most of the structures were owned by the government and required a new city-wide review. He said at-risk structures were listed, sealed or cleared as needed.
“This earthquake is a big warning. The science suggests that we are in for an even bigger shock,” he said.
Seismologist Syed Humayun Akhter warned that stresses capable of triggering a major seismic event, potentially very high, are building up in the Indo-Burma subduction zone.
Rajuk, the agency responsible for monitoring compliance from planning to construction, has long faced criticism for its lack of oversight.
Professor Munaz Ahmed Noor, vice-president of the Bangladesh Earthquake Society, said Rajuk “always wakes up after a major incident”, referring to the chronic manpower shortage.
He emphasized strict adherence to Bangladesh’s National Building Code, noting that past enforcement failures had left many structures vulnerable. Noor said mistakes often occur not in design but during execution, such as incorrect placement of reinforcement despite correct drawings.
