Earthquake and the risk to Dhaka residents

Earthquakes seldom announce themselves before they strike yet their consequences reflect years of choices made about how cities grow and how safety is enforced. The tremor that rippled through Dhaka and nearby districts on Friday morning was a moderate event by global standards, but even so it made buildings sway and walls crack, revealing how vulnerable Bangladesh's urban landscape really is. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department measured the quake at 5.7 while the United States Geological Survey recorded it at 5.5. Unlike previous tremors that often originated far from the capital near the borders of India or Myanmar, this seismic event was centred a mere 13 to 14 kilometres from Dhaka and at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres. The fact that the epicentre was so close to such a densely populated megacity is the most worrying part of this event. As buildings shook, people poured into open spaces within minutes and the capital was briefly overtaken by confusion and fear. At least five people including a ten-month-old child tragically lost their lives after railings and walls gave way, and several hundred people were injured. Many of the injuries occurred as people rushed for the staircases to escape, a common but often dangerous reaction during earthquakes. The event also caused cracks to appear across numerous buildings in the capital, partially collapsing some structures and sparking fires in several locations.

The true danger during an earthquake, however, does not only come from the shaking itself but in human failings in construction. Expert assessments repeatedly warn that a large share of the capital's buildings is critically vulnerable. Many modern buildings, including residential blocks, contain inherent flaws such as soft ground floors used for parking that become fragile points during seismic movement. The problem is intensified by the inconsistent quality of construction materials, especially concrete, whose strength is often weakened by poor mixing and lax supervision. Routine violations for the Bangladesh National Building Code including the omission of soil testing have produced an urban environment where even a moderate quake can cause major damage. Furthermore, ageing and uncoordinated urban utilities like water and gas lines present secondary threats. Their rupture in a major quake could trigger fires and hazardous conditions easily overwhelming emergency services.

Those who study the region's seismic history know very well that a major seismic event in this part of the world is not a matter of if but when. Yesterday's quake made this reality ominously clear. Bangladesh sits close to a network of active fault systems responsible for historically devastating earthquakes such as the Great Arakan event of 1762 and the major Assam tremors of 1897 and 1950. Seismologists warn that major quakes follow cycles and that a high-magnitude event in the region is long overdue. This 5.7 tremor demonstrated, with uncomfortable clarity, how catastrophic the situation could become if the next quake reaches a magnitude of 6 or above. The consequences would almost certainly exceed the limits of current preparedness and overwhelm any meaningful rescue effort.

The events of Friday should therefore serve as a clear and definitive prompt for action. A comprehensive plan needs to be implemented with urgency, beginning with a mandatory structural audit of all high-rise buildings and critical infrastructure. Enforcement of the building code must be restored as a non-negotiable requirement with uniform penalties for violations. Concurrently, a massive public awareness campaign is essential to cultivate a culture of construction safety. The tremor that happened yesterday has caused some damage and loss of life, but the next one might bring the entire city's skyline crashing down if authorities fail to take action immediately.