Find ways to protect metropolis from earthquakes

Ninety per cent of earthquake deaths are caused by building collapses. Therefore, yesterday’s earthquake in India’s Assam state, 380 kilometres from Dhaka, has once again brought the issue of risky buildings and safety in construction into discussion. Before this, the devastating earthquake in Turkey last year that caused huge casualties also sparked similar discussions in many quarters.

Moreover, whenever a risky building collapses or catches fire, the matter becomes a nationwide issue of debate, but soon the discussion dies down and nothing concrete is done. Then life, teaching, office and business activities continue as before in the midst of risk. Gas, electricity, water and telephone connections of risky buildings are not disconnected. Holding numbers are not cancelled. As a result, in the event of a fire or a natural disaster like an earthquake, there is fear of heavy loss of life.

According to the Earthquake Observation Centre of the Department of Geology at Dhaka University, in the last 485 years there have been 52 mild, moderate and strong earthquakes within Bangladesh and up to 200 kilometres of its territory. Among these, only six earthquakes took place in Dhaka and its surroundings. In just the past decade, a total of eight earthquakes have occurred around Dhaka. Essentially, under the Burma Plate running through Bangladesh, the Indian Plate is being pushed beneath it. This is causing huge energy to accumulate there. That energy can be released at any time, creating powerful tremors. Therefore, the halted work on earthquake preparedness must be resumed immediately.

Regrettably, although Dhaka city is said to have 2.1 million buildings, no ministry has the exact statistics of risky buildings. However, according to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, 72,000 buildings in Dhaka have been identified as risky. Besides, the process of identifying risky buildings is itself questionable. In fact, after the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology proposed identifying earthquake risks in Dhaka’s buildings. It was suggested that the riskiest buildings be marked in red and the less risky ones in green. But despite several rounds of discussions, the matter has not progressed.

It is encouraging that 22 years after independence, in 1993, the ‘Bangladesh National Building Code’ was formulated; but due to legal complications it was only gazetted in 2006, 13 years later. However, being outdated and in response to professional demands, the code was revised in 2021. The aim of this law was to ensure minimum standards in building construction. Yet when laws in Bangladesh are not properly framed, on what basis can standards be changed? This is now the big question!

Furthermore, why do the government and different agencies become active only after a major accident occurs? It is now time to examine how far their inspections, promises or assurances actually help to prevent accidents.

Geographically, Bangladesh is located in an earthquake-prone zone. But experts believe that earthquake risk has not received enough attention in infrastructure construction. Despite several minor earthquakes in past decades, there is still debate over the lack of quality assurance in building construction. Engineers say that despite the risks, there has been no significant change in construction practices in the last two decades. Therefore, although there is a ‘Bangladesh National Building Code Act’ to prevent natural disasters like earthquakes, its implementation has now become urgent.