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A powerful earthquake jolted the country on April 13. It originated in Myanmar. The tremor was felt around 7.55 PM in Bangladesh and according to our geological survey department, it measured 6.9 on the Richter scale.
During the earthquake we saw people suddenly pouring out on the streets and many people were injured while rushing down the stairs for a safe place in the open. A building was titled in the port city Chittagong and there was widespread panic among the port city dwellers.
In Dhaka, mostly in the old part of it, there are many buildings that are old and in dilapidated shape and may crumble down any time. These structures should be immediately demolished to prevent any untoward incidents.
We must change our attitude and take necessary precautions to avoid accidents. Moreover, many of the city buildings were built defying safety rules of national building code.
This is totally undesirable. In fact, Dhaka is very ill-prepared for earthquakes and a moderate earthquake may cause a disaster. It is high time we enforced safety rules of national building code.
Mohammed Fahim
Moghbazar, Dhaka