Earthquake: Sylhet to demolish 23 highly vulnerable buildings

The Sylhet district administration has decided to demolish 23 buildings identified as highly vulnerable to earthquakes, starting next week.

The decision was taken at a meeting on earthquake preparedness and response held at Nagar Bhaban on Monday afternoon (November 24), chaired by Divisional Commissioner and Sylhet City Corporation Administrator Khan Md Reza-un-Nabi.

Senior officials, including Deputy Commissioner Md Sarwar Alam, SCC Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Rezai Rafin Sarker, and experts attended the meeting.

Deputy Commissioner Sarwar Alam noted that many people continue to live and operate businesses in these risky structures. “For the safety of residents, we have decided to demolish these buildings quickly,” he said, adding that narrow roads in parts of the city could obstruct rescue operations during disasters and require special attention.

Professor Dr. Jajir Bin Alam of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, who led the building assessment, said a survey of 6,000 buildings identified 23 as extremely vulnerable.

However, he warned the actual number of risky buildings is likely much higher. “There are around 44,000 buildings in the city. Without surveying each, it is not possible to accurately determine the level of risk,” he said.