Experts have criticised the government’s lack of earthquake preparedness, warning that Dhaka’s dense population, unregulated construction practices and poor enforcement of building codes could cause catastrophic damage if a major tremor strikes.
Their comments come amid public anxiety following a series of recent quakes felt across the country and as the government convenes emergency meetings to assess the risks.
At a views-exchange meeting titled “Preparedness and Actions to Reduce Earthquake Risk,” organised at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), academics, urban planners and disaster-management specialists urged authorities to strengthen building inspections, retrofit vulnerable structures and integrate seismic data into all urban development decisions.
Their warnings coincided with a separate emergency meeting at the Chief Adviser’s Office, where the government sought urgent guidance and pledged swift action.
Speaking at the IEB event, Buet civil engineering professor Dr Mehedi Ahmed Ansary said Dhaka’s construction pattern remained dangerously vulnerable. “Even though our expected earthquakes are high in energy, proper design and adherence to building codes can prevent collapse and save lives,” he said, urging inspections across high-risk areas.
Dr Tanvir Manzur, also from Buet, cautioned that while perfect safety was impossible, risk could be significantly reduced. “We cannot achieve 100% safety, but we can reduce risk from 100 to 70–80% through careful assessment and planning,” he said, highlighting the challenge of assessing roughly 600,000 buildings across the capital.
Architects Institute president Abu Sayeed Mostaque Ahmed accused authorities of routinely ignoring professional standards in construction approvals. “Stop approving buildings without proper design and without preserving emergency open spaces; otherwise, lives will be at risk during earthquakes,” he said.
Similar concerns were raised by former Bangladesh Institute of Planners president Adil Muhammad Khan, who warned that uncontrolled construction on weak soil was compounding seismic threats. “Do not approve any new development until land-use plans are synchronised with seismic data. If we fail to do this, high-rises will collapse,” he said.
Environmental Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan warned that Old Dhaka was “extremely vulnerable,” describing its mix of chemical factories, population density and widespread code violations as a potential “urban disaster multiplier.” She called for relocating hazardous factories, conduct area-based structural surveys and involve independent third-party agencies in all assessments.
Government regulators acknowledged that current inspection coverage is limited. RAJUK’s Executive Engineer Khandaker Md Wahid Sadiq said only 3,252 of roughly 2.1 million buildings in Dhaka and Gazipur had undergone initial seismic screening under the FEMA-310 guideline, a handbook for the seismic evaluation of buildings that provides a three-tiered process for assessing the seismic performance of existing structures. Of those, 579 buildings required preliminary engineering assessments, and 187 completed detailed engineering assessments. Retrofitting was recommended for several key institutions, while 42 structures were flagged for demolition.
Rajuk Chairman Riazul Islam said the number of vulnerable buildings now identified stood at about 300, adding that coordination among agencies remained a pressing need. “If we do not work in a coordinated way, it will be impossible to manage a post-earthquake situation,” he said, arguing that responsibility for violations should fall on offenders, not regulators.
Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan echoed the need for third-party assessments and called for strengthening Rajuk’s mandate.
As technical experts appealed for urgent reforms, the government sought to calm public alarm generated by widespread social-media speculation predicting imminent large earthquakes. At the emergency meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, senior advisers, academics and disaster specialists emphasised the need for rational, science-based preparedness. Experts repeated that no authority could predict the exact timing of an earthquake, adding that rumours of impending quakes within days or weeks were unfounded.
The chief adviser urged the assembled specialists to submit written recommendations outlining immediate and long-term actions for the government. He stressed that preparedness must be grounded in scientific guidance rather than reactive fear. “We do not want to sit idle, but we also do not want to take unscientific steps,” he said. “Give us your suggestions in writing as quickly as possible; the government is ready to take every necessary measure.”
He added that expert committees and one or more task forces were already being considered, saying the government would act “as soon as your recommendations are in our hands.” Addressing the necessity of public awareness, he said, “Protecting people from panic is our shared responsibility. Tell us what preparations are needed and what awareness must be raised so that we are not caught unprepared in any situation.”
A number of specialists proposed nationwide drills, school-based earthquake programmes, and community-level training on evacuation procedures. MIST professor Zainul Abedin urged clearer communication. “People must understand that panic is dangerous. We have to work within our existing resources, but people need precise information about what to do,” he said. Others highlighted the need for ward-level open spaces, better mapping of safe assembly points, and routine drills in hospitals, universities and residential buildings.
Experts also emphasised the need to assess whether hospitals had adequate structural strength, emergency equipment and crisis-management capacity. Public Works Department chief engineer Md Khalekuzzaman Chowdhury said more than 200 buildings with reported cracks had already been photographed and evaluated through new software, which was helping speed up structural assessments.
The government concluded the emergency meeting by announcing that it would review the experts’ written recommendations and form a task force comprising officials and specialists to oversee immediate actions.
