Dhaka’s Extreme Earthquake Vulnerability Exposed by 5.7-Magnitude Madhabdi Quake

DHAKA, BANGLADESH — The moderate 5.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Narsingdi this morning, killing at least six people and triggering widespread panic, is serving as a chilling reminder of Dhaka’s catastrophic vulnerability to a major seismic event.

The quake, which was centred in Madhabdi, Narsingdi, struck just 13km east of the capital\’s seismic centre. The tremors were strong enough to cause structural cracks in multiple buildings at Jahangirnagar University and send hundreds of thousands of residents rushing into the streets, fearing the worst.

The relatively moderate earthquake\’s proximity to the city highlights the serious threat posed by the region\’s active fault lines. The Madhupur fault, an approximately 100km stretch affecting parts of Tangail, Gazipur, and Dhaka, is known as one of Bangladesh\’s most earthquake-prone seismic zones.

If a 6.9-magnitude earthquake were to strike the Madhupur fault, the study estimates that between 864,619 and 1,391,685 buildings in Dhaka would collapse or suffer major structural failure. This accounts for up to 64.83% of all buildings in the densely populated capital.

While today\’s quake caused only minor cracking, isolated collapses of loose structures (like railings in Old Dhaka leading to fatalities), and reports of tilting buildings, the panic demonstrated the low level of preparedness for a major disaster.

Reports of building tilting in areas like Badda and Sutrapur, even if later found by the Fire Service to be unfounded or minor, underscore the lack of confidence in the integrity of Dhaka\’s construction.

Experts are reiterating that this event must serve as a \”wake-up call\” for authorities and residents to urgently address building code compliance and disaster preparedness, especially considering the potential for a larger 7.1-magnitude quake along the Sylhet lineament, which could still damage over 314,000 buildings in Dhaka.