Experts tell discussion
Bangladesh faces a high risk of major earthquakes due to its location along three active tectonic plate faults, experts warned yesterday, stressing that preparedness, public awareness and modern technology are crucial to reducing casualties and damage.
The warning came at a seminar titled "Earthquake Awareness, Safety Protocol and Emergency Preparedness", organised by JCX Developments Ltd at a city hotel.
Speakers stressed the need for structurally sound and earthquake-resistant buildings, audits of existing structures, strict quality control in construction, strengthened emergency response capacity and an effective early-warning system.
They also underscored the importance of regular community drills, awareness campaigns and preparedness at family level.
Experts noted that Bangladesh sits at the junction of the Indian, Myanmar and Eurasian tectonic plates.
The Dauki Fault in Sylhet, the Chattogram-Arakan Fault along the Chattogram-Teknaf belt and the Sagaing Fault in Myanmar together put the country at extremely high seismic risk. Rapid urbanisation, high population density, violations of building codes and narrow road networks further heighten the danger, they added.
In his welcome address, JCX Developments Ltd Managing Director Md Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury said recent tremors felt in Dhaka are a stark reminder of the country's vulnerability.
"With rapid urbanisation, dense population and weak building structures, a major earthquake could cause devastating losses. Awareness, preparedness and capacity building are the need of the hour," he said.
The seminar noted that more than 200 earthquakes have been recorded in Bangladesh over the past century, with frequency increasing since last year.
Experts also said immense energy has been accumulating for 800 to 1,000 years in the subduction zone from Sylhet to Teknaf, posing one of the country's most serious geophysical threats.
Japanese experts Keiichiro Sako and Hisaya Sugiyama, both specialising in earthquake-resistant architectural design, shared lessons from Japan's post-earthquake experiences, highlighting safe infrastructure, resilient design and modern sustainable construction standards.
Speakers at the seminar included Prof M Shamim Z Bosunia, Buet Prof Syed Fakhrul Amin, Rehab President Wahiduzzaman, senior vice-president Liaqat Ali and Rajuk Chief Urban Planner Ashraful Islam.
