[🇧🇩] Earthquake in Myanmar & Bangladesh

[Saif]

Earthquake shakes Dhaka, several districts

An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale was felt in Dhaka and several other districts of Bangladesh late Sunday night. The tremor was experienced at around 11:39 pm. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the earthquake's epicentre was located in Bhuta

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Earthquake shakes Dhaka, several districts

FE Online Desk

Published :
Jun 07, 2026 23:53
Updated :
Jun 08, 2026 00:12

An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale was felt in Dhaka and several other districts of Bangladesh late Sunday night.

The tremor was experienced at around 11:39 pm.

According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the earthquake's epicentre was located in Bhutan.

The quake occurred at a depth of approximately 35 kilometres beneath the earth's surface.

No immediate reports of casualties or damage were confirmed.​

 

[Saif]

Magnitude 4.5 earthquake shakes parts of Bangladesh

An earthquake has been felt in several parts of Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka, but no damage or casualties have been reported so far. According to the France-based European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the earthquake had a magnitude of 4.5 and struck at 9:10pm local time in

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Magnitude 4.5 earthquake shakes parts of Bangladesh

Published :
Jun 12, 2026 00:06
Updated :
Jun 12, 2026 00:06

An earthquake has been felt in several parts of Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka, but no damage or casualties have been reported so far.

According to the France-based European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the earthquake had a magnitude of 4.5 and struck at 9:10pm local time in India (9:40pm in Bangladesh) on Thursday, bdnews24.com reports.

The EMSC said the epicentre was near Silchar in India's Assam state, close to the Bangladesh border, about 92km east of Sylhet.

The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10km, the agency said.​

 

[Saif]

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thefinancialexpress.com.bd

445 earthquake-safe shelters identified in Dhaka: minister

bdnews24.com

Published :
Jun 23, 2026 22:53
Updated :
Jun 23, 2026 22:53

The government has designated 445 safe shelters across Dhaka to protect residents in the event of earthquakes and other emergencies, Disaster Management Minister Asadul Habib Dulu has said.

He said a proposal has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to formally designate the locations as “earthquake-safe shelters”.

Responding to a question from Gopalganj-1 MP Selimuzzaman Molla in parliament on Tuesday, the minister said 256 of the shelters are located in Dhaka South City Corporation and 189 in Dhaka North City Corporation.

Dulu said the government has also taken steps to prepare 100,000 volunteers in Dhaka and surrounding areas to strengthen post-earthquake rescue and emergency response efforts.

The minister added that coordination among the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), the Geological Survey Department and other agencies has been strengthened to improve the monitoring and rapid dissemination of earthquake and tsunami-related information.

“As Bangladesh is located close to regions vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis, the government is giving the highest priority to preparedness for such disasters. Different risk-reduction and disaster-resilience initiatives are being implemented,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of complying with the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) to ensure the construction of earthquake-resistant infrastructure.​

 

[Saif]

Why recent earthquakes near Dhaka should not trigger panic, experts explain

No major fault line has been identified around the capital, though experts warn that regional quakes and vulnerable buildings remain serious risks

www.thedailystar.net

Why recent earthquakes near Dhaka should not trigger panic, experts explain
No major fault line has been identified around the capital, though experts warn that regional quakes and vulnerable buildings remain serious risks

Star Online Report

Star file photo

A magnitude-4 earthquake was felt in Dhaka and nearby districts of the country on Monday (June 22, 2026) night, with its epicentre in Narayanganj’s Rupganj, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). The tremor came seven months after a magnitude-5.2 earthquake struck nearby Narsingdi in November last year, renewing concerns over seismic activity around Dhaka.

Experts say there is no cause for undue alarm over the recent earthquakes around Dhaka, as no fault lines capable of producing major tremors have been identified in the area, nor is there any record of large earthquakes originating there. However, experts warn that a major earthquake along the Dauki Fault near Sylhet or in India’s Assam region could have a significant impact on Dhaka.

“The epicentre of Monday’s earthquake was quite close to that of the earthquake felt in November last year. Tectonic plates are constantly moving. The increased seismic activity in these areas is a result of that movement. There is nothing unusual about it,” Rubaiyat Kabir, acting officer at the Earthquake Observation and Research Centre of BMD, told The Daily Star.

Asked why earthquakes are occurring within Bangladesh, particularly around Dhaka, he said the Indian Plate is exerting pressure on the Eurasian Plate beneath the Himalayas to the north of Bangladesh. “These are two major tectonic plates, which is why the region is prone to earthquakes,” he said.

“In addition, the comparatively smaller Burma Plate is also exerting pressure on Bangladesh's landmass. That is why minor earthquakes are occurring in and around the country,” he added.

Regarding the risk of a major earthquake, he said, "If we consider an area within a 50-100 km radius of Dhaka, there is no historical record of a major earthquake originating there. Large earthquakes require large fault lines, and there is no evidence of any such major fault line in this region. Considering all these factors, there is no indication of a significant earthquake risk originating from this area."

A 5.7‑magnitude earthquake jolted Dhaka and nearby districts on November 21, 2025, damaging buildings and sending panicked residents rushing into the streets. Photo: Star

“Earthquakes measuring between magnitude 4 and 5 have occurred in these areas from time to time. The tremor that occurred on Monday was quite normal,” he added.

Professor Mehedi Ahmed Ansary of the Department of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) said over the past two years, around eight to 10 earthquakes have occurred with epicentres near Dhaka, including in places such as Narsingdi. However, there are no major fault lines in Dhaka itself. The tremors occurring around the capital are mainly linked to local fault lines.

He said although there are no major fault lines in and around Dhaka, there remains a risk of significant danger from major fault lines located in other parts of Bangladesh or in neighbouring countries.

He said due to its geographical location, Bangladesh lies in a region where a major earthquake could strike at any time. “Geological analyses indicate that the country has a recurrence cycle, or 'return period', for magnitude-8 earthquakes, which typically occurs every 300 to 350 years. Based on that estimate, a magnitude-8 earthquake may not be imminent. However, the real concern is that an earthquake measuring 7.0 to 7.5 on the Richter scale could occur at any time.”

Citing historical examples, he said major earthquakes have struck the region before, including a magnitude-7.5 quake in Assam’s Cachar in 1869, a magnitude-7.6 quake in Sreemangal in 1918, and a magnitude-7.1 quake in Assam’s Dhubri in 1930.

Star file photo

“Based on a recurrence cycle of roughly 150 to 200 years, a magnitude-7 earthquake in this region could occur at any time,” he said.

Referring to a survey conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP), he said if a magnitude-7 earthquake strikes Dhaka, around 72,000 buildings could collapse. The city has approximately 21 lakh habitable structures. Of these, about 15 lakh structures are small buildings or tin-shed houses, where the risk of mass casualties from collapse is comparatively lower.

“The main concern lies with the remaining six lakh multi-storey buildings. Our preliminary assessment suggests that at least 40 percent of these structures are in a vulnerable condition,” he added.

He said in Bangladesh, earthquake preparedness is often understood by the government as increasing the capacity of the fire service or purchasing rescue equipment. But the real preparedness should begin with building construction.

“There is a well-known saying in engineering: earthquakes do not kill people; weak buildings do. Therefore, if we want to save lives, there is no alternative to ensuring that buildings are constructed properly and that older structures are strengthened through retrofitting,” he added.​

 

[Saif]

Why Bangladesh must start rehearsing for the next earthquake

Bangladesh must urgently implement routine earthquake drills in schools to transition from reactive disaster to proactive preparedness.

www.thedailystar.net

Why Bangladesh must start rehearsing for the next earthquake

Masuma Moriom

Bangladesh knows how to run from a cyclone. It does not know how to run from an earthquake, and last November, that gap in muscle memory became painfully clear.

At 10:38 in the morning on November 21 last year, the ground shook for 26 seconds. The epicentre was near Madhabdi in Narsingdi, not far outside Dhaka. By the day’s end, at least ten people were dead and hundreds were injured. A railing collapsed onto pedestrians buying meat in Old Dhaka. A wall came down on a mother and her newborn in Narayanganj.

University dormitories cracked. Panicked students jumped from residence halls. Power stations shut down. It was, by most measures, the deadliest earthquake to strike Bangladesh in more than two decades and, by regional standards, it was still considered moderate.

Fire service officials, journalists, and onlookers gather at the site in Armanitola, Dhaka, where an earthquake claimed three lives on November 21, 2025. Photo: Palash Khan/Star

That distinction matters more than it sounds as though it should. Engineers who examined the aftermath did not call it a warning that had passed. They called it a possible foreshock, one of the smaller tremors that sometimes precede something larger. The region has not produced a magnitude-7 earthquake since 1930. Historical recurrence patterns suggest one is due roughly every century to a century and a quarter. By that arithmetic, Bangladesh is not early. It is late.

I think about this often, because late is not how Bangladesh plans for disaster. We plan for what we have already rehearsed.

Ask any coastal family what a cyclone signal means and they will tell you, almost instinctively, when to move, what to carry, and which shelter to walk to. That instinct was not born from a training manual. It was built the hard way, over a century of cyclones, floods, and storm surges that returned every season, sometimes every year, until preparation became reflex. A cyclone gives you a signal number and a day or two. A flood gives you a rising river and roughly a week. Bangladesh has learned to use that time well because it has had a century of practice using it.

An earthquake gave the country 26 seconds. No signal number, no rising water, no window to rehearse a response before it arrived. Everything that anticipatory planning depends on—a forecast, a threshold, time to act—simply does not exist for this hazard. What can still be rehearsed, though, is not the warning. It is the response: what a child does with their hands and knees in the first three seconds of shaking, before anyone has had time to think.

This is where the comparison becomes uncomfortable. In Japan, primary schools hold earthquake drills as routinely as fire drills, sometimes several times a year: children drop under their desks, head first, hold the legs until the shaking stops, then file out for a roll call, some rotating through simulation rooms that recreate real tremors until the response becomes physical memory rather than instruction. The share of Japanese school buildings rated earthquake-safe rose from under half in 2002 to nearly all of them today, retrofit by retrofit, after the 1995 Kobe earthquake destroyed thousands of schools and made the case impossible to ignore. In California, the Great ShakeOut has grown into the largest earthquake drill in the world, with students practising Drop, Cover, and Hold On at least once a year until it needs no announcement to trigger. In the Philippines, on the Pacific Ring of Fire, school drills are conducted with the same seriousness as fire drills: routes are posted in every classroom, roll call is completed within minutes, and calm is treated as a skill to be practised rather than hoped for.

Bangladesh knows how to run from a cyclone. It does not know how to run from an earthquake, and last November, that gap in muscle memory became painfully clear.

A recent scenario study of rural primary schools across Bangladesh’s seismic zones found something quite different. Teachers and students had detailed, rehearsed plans for floods and cyclones, but no structured framework at all for earthquakes: no standard drill, no routine practice, and little training on what to actually do in the first thirty seconds. In the weeks after November’s quake, a handful of schools received a one-off safety briefing. A single afternoon session is not a drill. A drill is something a body remembers without being told.

On the ground itself, the outlook is no steadier. Soil surveys of Dhaka show well over half the city sitting on land rated as highly susceptible to liquefaction: soft, waterlogged, often artificially filled ground that can briefly behave like liquid under strong shaking, much of it reclaimed from wetlands and ponds within living memory. Add to that the thousands of buildings raised with open, unsupported ground floors for parking, many without the piling the national building code requires. One recent structural assessment estimated that a magnitude-6.9 earthquake in Dhaka could collapse more than 860,000 buildings. After November’s quake, engineers called for urgent structural checks across the capital’s roughly 2.1 million buildings, a task that has barely begun.

None of this is unknown; it has been mapped, modelled, and, since November, publicly demonstrated. What is still missing is the rehearsal itself: not a single briefing, but the kind of repetition that turned cyclone response into instinct: a duck-and-cover drill run every term until no child has to think about it, alongside the retrofitting that makes the building they are ducking inside less likely to come down on them. Neither carries the urgency of a storm signal, because neither answers a threat that most people alive today have lived through more than once.

Bangladesh must urgently implement routine earthquake drills in schools to transition from reactive disaster to proactive preparedness. Visual: Rehnuma Proshoon

It is also, increasingly, not a hypothetical ask. This summer, major earthquakes in Japan and Venezuela, within a day of each other, put seismic risk back on front pages worldwide, with one country’s decades of drilled, retrofitted preparedness limiting the damage and the other left far more exposed. Bangladesh does not get to choose which outcome it inherits after the fact. That choice is being made now, in whether a school runs an earthquake drill this term or waits for the next quake to force the question.

A hazard does not have to be familiar to be rehearsed. Bangladesh spent a century turning cyclones and floods into disasters people know how to survive, not through luck, but through repetition. Last November was the country's first real rehearsal for the next major earthquake, and it cost ten lives in just 26 seconds. The next rehearsal should be a drill, not another disaster.

Masuma Moriom is a Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist with experience in climate resilience, anticipatory action, disaster risk reduction, and strategic communication across Bangladesh and South Asia.​

 

[Saif]

Venezuela’s deadly earthquakes are a wake-up call for Dhaka

Every year, more than 1,000 earthquakes of magnitude 5 or higher occur around the world.

www.thedailystar.net

Venezuela’s deadly earthquakes are a wake-up call for Dhaka

Rajib Kumar Saha

VISUAL: ANWAR SOHEL

Every year, more than 1,000 earthquakes of magnitude 5 or higher occur around the world. While scientists understand why earthquakes happen, the bigger challenge is figuring out when and why the small quakes escalate into massive, destructive ones. Most importantly, what can we learn from the destruction? By studying how underground ruptures generate violent shaking, how that shaking damages buildings, and how soil and rock either amplify or reduce the impact, we can use scientific insights to guide practical steps that help save lives.

Most of the time, people see earthquake complexity reduced to a single number—the magnitude—reported in the news. Pragmatic research requires greater focus on tectonic plate collisions and subduction, hidden earthquake sources, and how seismic waves travel through the soft, water-saturated soils of the Bengal delta, where Bangladesh lies. To protect millions of people in this vulnerable region, the country must launch a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary effort using state-of-the-art technology. However, significant challenges remain, including complex geology, active tectonics, climate change impacts, unplanned urbanisation, and limited technical capacity. A recent study jointly conducted by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) revealed that more than half of Dhaka’s soil is highly susceptible to liquefaction. The study findings warn that the greatest danger may not come from the shaking above ground, but from the earth itself giving way and failing to support the capital’s weight.

Fortunately, there are several measures that can alleviate the heightened risk of earthquake-related disaster in Dhaka.

First and foremost, the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), a comprehensive “life-saving system,” must be enforced without exception. The recent devastating earthquakes in Venezuela tragically demonstrated how devastating the consequence of lax enforcement of safety rules can be: more than 3,500 have been killed and thousands more injured amid widespread destruction. In Bangladesh, particularly in Dhaka, a key practical measure would be to apply the highest level of scrutiny when approving new constructions. Deploying dedicated teams for spot investigation during construction as well as subsurface condition assessment is highly recommended.

Second, existing buildings must be assessed for rapid vulnerability. Using available survey data, the relevant authorities should create a public risk map and a priority list of vulnerable structures. Retrofit efforts should focus on common weak points, such as soft-storey floors (a common weakness in buildings with open ground floors), by adding shear walls, bracing, strengthening foundations, and improving connections. Many of these upgrades are relatively low-cost compared to the devastating consequences of collapse. Simple, practical retrofit guidelines should be developed for typical buildings in Dhaka, such as reinforced concrete frames. A promising low-cost solution comes from Purdue University researchers in the US, who tested triangular metal haunches attached with adhesive anchors. This technique is effective, affordable, and minimally invasive, allowing buildings to remain occupied during retrofitting.

Small initiatives like this can be implemented as a pilot project in Dhaka, based on expert recommendations. All buildings should undergo immediate safety inspections, with the highest priority given to schools, hospitals, universities, government offices, factories, high-rise buildings, and other critical infrastructure. A simple green-yellow-red classification system can be used to quickly identify safe structures, those requiring retrofitting, and those requiring immediate demolition.

Equally important is securing funds for retrofitting and rapid disaster response. Bangladesh can draw inspiration from innovative financial models. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently approved a programme for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan that provides fast budget support for moderate disasters, helping them manage frequent events without draining resources. Incentives like tax breaks, subsidised loans, and faster approvals for compliant retrofits can encourage private owners to act. Public-private partnerships with donors can also help fund the strengthening of critical public infrastructure.

Third, regular “drop, cover, hold on” drills should be mandatory at educational institutions, offices, factories, and public gathering spots. Declaring a national earthquake preparedness day can help build lasting public awareness. Awareness campaigns, supported by real-time SMS alerts, community volunteers and the media, should reach out to educate and raise awareness among citizens about simple preparedness measures: securing furniture, preparing emergency kits, creating family plans, and knowing how to shut off utilities.

In the event of a major earthquake, some general steps can be taken to ensure maximum safety. The first step would be putting NIDs, passports, cash, credit cards, essential medications, other vital documents, dry food, and a water bottle in a small, easy-to-grab bag in advance. It should be stored in a place that can be quickly accessed when the tremor hits.

During an earthquake, people should stay calm and move downstairs immediately using the stairs—never an elevator. Elderly family members, children, the sick, and pets should be moved to safety first. Once outside, people should move quickly to an open area away from buildings, walls, power lines, and trees. Those on the ground floor should head straight to an open space. People should also turn off gas lines and electrical points to prevent fires.

When the earthquake is over, aftershocks follow, which can happen over the following hours or even days. People must stay alert and be ready to take shelter if needed. Injured people should be taken to the nearest hospital or medical centre immediately rather than waiting for rescue. It is also important to provide comfort and reassure family members, neighbours, or others experiencing trauma, shock, or panic.

In the event of a significant earthquake striking Dhaka, satellite technology could be crucial for facilitating immediate response efforts. Just hours following the Venezuela earthquake, the European Union’s Copernicus satellite system was activated to map affected regions, quickly identifying the buildings that suffered damage. In Dhaka, such a technology could swiftly scan the city to pinpoint collapsed or severely damaged structures. Rescue teams could prioritise response efforts in the most affected areas, deliver emergency supplies more effectively, and determine accessible routes for relief personnel. However, satellite imaging has its limitations as it primarily detects visible external damage and may overlook internally compromised buildings that may still appear intact. For this reason, it should be utilised as a rapid initial assessment tool to inform rather than replace on-the-ground evaluation and rescue operations.

Whenever an earthquake occurs, the media as well as the public in Bangladesh primarily rely on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for official information on magnitude and location. This is because the Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB) currently lacks the formal mandate to issue such authoritative statements. GSB already has a capable team of scientists conducting important research on the country’s geology and seismic activities. However, to fully analyse earthquake data and monitor seismic events in real time, they need four critical things: i) a clear official mandate; ii) greater institutional support; iii) expanded research opportunities; and iv) access to cutting-edge equipment. Updating the national policy to empower GSB as the country’s central nodal institution for earthquake monitoring and research will build public trust and ensure that disaster preparedness is guided by homegrown scientific expertise.

The installation of an accelerograph network that measures peak ground acceleration (PGA) and peak ground velocity (PGV) is essential for strengthening earthquake resilience in Dhaka in particular and Bangladesh as a whole. This data will enable the creation of accurate seismic hazard maps and ultimately support the refinement of the BNBC and Detailed Area Plan (DAP).

Without urgent actions, a major quake could result in a catastrophic death toll in Dhaka. Long periods of seismic quietness often lead to a loss of urgency and motivation for serious preparation. Now is the time for both citizens and policymakers to act, because once the ground begins to shake violently, it could already be too late.

Rajib Kumar Saha is PhD candidate under the School of the Environment at Washington State University in the US, and assistant director (geology) at the Geological Survey of Bangladesh.​