Dhaka has long expanded faster than it has planned. Wetlands have been filled, low-lying areas built over, and high-rises have been raised that may not withstand a major earthquake. In the fourth instalment of a six-part series, Star examines whether the city’s hospitals, fire stations, and other critical facilities are prepared to remain operational when a major earthquake strikes.

It was the morning of November 21, 2025. Bilkis Akter, a senior staff nurse at the Cardiology Department of Bangladesh Medical University, was on duty.

Part 1: A city standing on fragile ground
Part 2: The disaster beneath the disaster
Part 3: No safe ground when quakes hit
Part 4: When rescuers themselves are at risk

As it was Friday, she was the only nurse at the department -- located on the first floor of the 17-storey building -- when the entire structure suddenly began to shake violently.

“I didn’t move, but eight patients and their attendants, except two, rushed downstairs in fear. Two of my colleagues came from other wards, and we stood there in complete panic,” Akter recalled of her experience during one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Bangladesh in recent years.

The magnitude-5.7 earthquake renewed concerns about the country’s seismic vulnerability. It killed at least 10 people, including two children, and injured more than 1,000.

“We were completely caught off guard. I picked up my six-year-old daughter and stood in the middle of the ward. I thought we were going to die,” said Munni, a mother staying in the paediatric cardiology ward at the time.

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Her account reflected the panic that swept through patients, doctors and hospital staff as the earthquake jolted Dhaka and surrounding districts.

The hospital building had already been identified as structurally vulnerable in early 2023. Despite repeated warnings, it continues to operate, as do 41 other high-risk buildings across the capital.

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More than two and a half years have passed since 42 buildings in Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj were declared “highly risky” and ordered to be demolished within three months under Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha’s Urban Resilience Project. Yet only two have been torn down.

Hospitals, fire stations, educational institutions and police stations are expected to remain operational after a major earthquake, forming the backbone of rescue operations, emergency healthcare, law enforcement and relief efforts.

Many of these facilities, however, are themselves structurally vulnerable, raising concerns that the country’s emergency response system could be severely compromised after a moderate-to-major earthquake.

Experts warn that unless vulnerable public buildings are urgently assessed and strengthened through retrofitting, the failure of critical infrastructure could hamper rescue operations, disrupt healthcare and cripple essential public services, particularly in densely populated Dhaka.

Abdul Latif Helali, former project director of the Urban Resilience Project, said hospitals, fire stations, police stations, power facilities and telecommunications buildings play a critical role after a major earthquake.

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Under the project, implemented between 2020 and 2022, Rajuk conducted Rapid Visual Assessments of 3,252 government, semi-government and autonomous buildings in Dhaka, Gazipur and Narayanganj.

Based on the findings, Preliminary Engineering Assessments were carried out on 579 comparatively vulnerable buildings, followed by Detailed Engineering Assessments of 229.

Of those, 42 buildings were recommended for demolition and 187 for retrofitting.

“Police stations were included only in the initial screening. We could not carry out detailed assessments because the process has remained stalled,” Helali said, stressing that such facilities should be prioritised.

Of the 42 highest-risk buildings, most belonged to eight government and autonomous educational institutions, while three are located within Bangladesh Medical University, formerly known as PG Hospital.

In 2023, Rajuk directed the authorities concerned to vacate the risky buildings within seven days and demolish them within three months.

So far, however, only two buildings, including one at Dhaka Collegiate School in Patuatuli, have been demolished.

The November 21 earthquake exposed not only the vulnerability of many structures but also the failure to address known risks despite repeated warnings.

Rajuk later identified around 300 buildings under its jurisdiction that had sustained damage in the earthquake.

The Education Engineering Department, under the education ministry, oversees the maintenance and safety of government educational institutions. Several of the 42 high-risk buildings fall under its supervision, according to a Rajuk report.

Contacted after the earthquake, EED Chief Engineer Tareque Anwar Zahedee said many of the listed buildings belonged to private institutions and were the responsibility of their management committees.

“If we receive government instructions, we will act according to the regulations,” he said, adding that a committee formed after last year’s earthquake would review buildings under EED supervision and submit its findings.

Rajuk Chief Town Planner Md Ashraful Islam said the authorities responsible for the 42 high-risk buildings were formally notified after the assessments.

Progress has been slow as many owners cited financial constraints and said they lacked the resources to rebuild if their buildings were demolished.

Some buildings continue to operate as schools or markets, while some market owners have secured court orders allowing them additional time, he added.

“The issue is beyond Rajuk’s capacity to resolve on its own.”

An inter-ministerial initiative involving Rajuk, city corporations, the fire service and disaster management authorities is needed to determine the appropriate course of action for each high-risk building, Ashraful said.

Meanwhile, the Fire Service and Civil Defence says 119 of its 537 fire stations nationwide, many built during the Pakistan era, are considered vulnerable.

Brig Gen Muhammad Jahed Kamal, director general of the fire service, said there are 18 fire stations in Dhaka staffed by around 700 personnel.

He said old fire stations at Postogola, Mirpur and Mohammadpur have been replaced, while new stations have been built in Baridhara, Sutrapur, Pallabi, Hazaribagh, Kallyanpur and Uttara.

The headquarters on Kazi Alauddin Road, along with the Kurmitola and Tejgaon fire stations, have been retrofitted, while several other ageing stations are being renovated or rebuilt, the DG said.

New facilities are also being built at the Sadarghat and Mirpur-10 fire stations, he added.

“Considering earthquake risks, the fire service has relocated its director (operations and maintenance) and related offices to a new Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in Mirpur.”

Construction of a new earthquake-resistant multi-storey headquarters is also underway, while plans are progressing to relocate the training complex to Purbachal, Jahed said.

“Identifying vulnerable buildings and undertaking mitigation measures is an ongoing process.”

Jahed said that under the contingency plan, 120 additional fire stations from across the country would be deployed to Dhaka with rescue equipment in the event of a major earthquake, alongside trained community volunteers.

WHAT EXPERTS SAY

Adil Mohammed Khan, former president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, said hospitals, fire stations, schools and police stations would suffer varying degrees of damage depending on the strength of an earthquake.

“If hospitals collapse, the injured cannot be treated. Even if they remain standing, internal damage may render them incapable of providing healthcare.”

He added that schools and colleges, often used as emergency shelters, could also become unusable.

Khan called for comprehensive vulnerability assessments of hospitals, followed by appropriate mitigation measures, saying many private educational institutions and hospitals also remain at risk.

Prof Mehedi Ahmed Ansary of Buet’s Civil Engineering Department said retrofitting critical facilities should begin only after vulnerability assessments.

“We need a fast, basic verification before moving to retrofit design. It can be done using Rapid Visual Screening (RVS), which is inexpensive,” he said.

Not every building will require retrofitting, he added, but critical facilities should be prioritised.

Ansary said trained volunteer engineers from local communities could help schools lacking engineering expertise conduct low-cost screenings.

“Government guidelines are necessary, at least to steer implementation,” he said. “But the real question is whether we even have time to proceed gradually. No one knows when the next earthquake will strike.”

Bangladesh’s documented seismic history spans only about 200 years, leaving considerable uncertainty over future events, he added.

“That is why retrofitting must begin with rapid screening, while soil-related vulnerabilities must be addressed simultaneously. Unfortunately, clear government directives are still lacking.”