Dhaka still not ready for major quake, experts warn

Despite its location in a seismically active region, Bangladesh remains woefully unprepared for a major earthquake, experts warned at a seminar held in Dhaka on Saturday.

Titled “Recent Earthquakes in Myanmar and Nepal: Earthquake Concerns for Bangladesh and Way Forward”, the seminar was organised by the Bangladesh Earthquakes Society with support from the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).

It was held at IEB headquarters in Ramna.

Addressing the seminar as chief guest, Mohammad Riazul Islam, president of IEB and chairman of the capital’s urban development authority Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), said unregulated construction practices continue to place Dhaka at risk.

 “A single 6.5-magnitude earthquake could cripple Dhaka. We cannot afford further delays in enforcing quake-resistant building codes,” he said.

In his keynote presentation, Prof Tahmid M Al-Hussaini of the civil engineering department at BUET revealed that approximately 70 percent of buildings in Dhaka do not meet basic seismic safety standards.

He underscored the urgent need for retrofitting old structures and integrating seismic considerations into all levels of urban planning.

Joining online, Prof Pennung Warnitchai of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, recommended the establishment of a national seismic hazard database and deployment of real-time ground-motion sensors.

Rezwanur Rahman, director general of the Department of Disaster Management, acknowledged that most schools, offices, and healthcare facilities lack earthquake drills or evacuation protocols.

Prof Sabbir Mostafa Khan, IEB's honorary general secretary, emphasised that laws on seismic design and construction exist, but remain poorly enforced.

 “Without compulsory vetting of designs and regular site inspections, compliance remains theoretical,” he said.

Several speakers, including former REHAB president M Abdul Awal, Dhaka University Professor Zillur Rahman, and structural engineering consultant Dr Ali Akbar Mallik, proposed a unified action plan to address the looming risk.

Their recommendation includes mandatory seismic certification for all new construction, comprehensive structural audits of existing public buildings and urgent retrofitting, updated micro-zonation maps to guide city-level planning, regular drills and simulations in schools and hospitals, and continuous training for engineers, architects, and city officials on seismic resilience.

Summing up the seminar, Prof Hussaini termed Bangladesh's current situation “a slow disaster in the making.”

 “Earthquakes can’t be prevented, but their impact can be reduced. The real question is how many lives we are willing to lose due to inaction,” he said.

The seminar was attended by urban planners, academic researchers, municipal engineers, and policy-makers. According to the organisers, a full set of technical and policy recommendations will be submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in the coming days.