Panic has swept through cities across the country after four earthquakes struck within 32 hours, leaving residents fearful of an even more destructive tremor.
People in Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet told TIMES of Bangladesh they were living under “unimaginable stress”, worried not only for their own safety but for relatives in other cities. Some said they were considering leaving Dhaka temporarily to escape the fear.
‘Nothing but piles of bodies’
In Old Dhaka — where three people died during Friday’s tremor — anxiety is particularly acute.
Mohammad Sohel, 32, from Kasaituli, said a major quake would leave “nothing but piles of bodies, blood everywhere, and wreckage of establishments”.
“Old Dhaka has both residential and commercial areas with countless people from all over the country,” he said. “I don’t think it will even be possible to figure the number of deaths in the event of a bigger earthquake.”
He urged the government to remove or repair unsafe buildings and raise public awareness. “There would be absolutely no benefit taking steps if an event happens and we lose our loved ones,” he said.
Families fearing collapse
Another Old Dhaka resident, Bishwanath Das, 56, said all 15 members of his joint family were panicked despite their own home being relatively less risky due to its tin rooftop.
“If the surrounding multi-storey buildings collapse, all 15 of us could lose our lives,” he said. “We have no other place to take temporary refuge. We would have no choice but to face whatever comes our way.”
In Moghbazar, Raisul Islam, 42, said he was considering returning temporarily to his hometown in Pabna.
“Every little shake I feel sends a shiver of fear through my heart,” he said. “I want to take my family to a place where such dense buildings would not loom over us.”
Stress rising in Chattogram and Sylhet
Residents in other cities described additional layers of anxiety — including fears for family members elsewhere.
In Chattogram, Mariam Khatun, 32, who lives with her three children in a six-storey building while her husband works away, feared she would be unable to escape with all of them if a major quake struck.
“The most likely outcome would be us crushed under the building,” she said. “And if, by some miracle, we manage to get out alive, what about my husband? I don’t know if we would ever see each other again.”
Mahbubur Rahman of Halishahar described many buildings in his area as old and unsafe.
“Narrow roads and lanes mean collapsed buildings will pose a major threat,” he said. “There is also the risk of being trampled to death amid all the panic and rush.”
Sylhet residents are particularly alarmed after reports identifying the city as a red-zone risk due to Bangladesh’s active subduction belt stretching from Sylhet to Cox’s Bazar.
University of Dhaka student Bikrom Aditya Borno rushed home to Sylhet after the university ordered dormitories to be vacated.
“My parents are ageing, and we have nowhere to move temporarily,” he said. “They startle in fear even during small tremors. I had to return to support them.”
Four quakes in 32 hours
Experts say the pattern of the tremors could be a warning.
The strongest — magnitude 5.7 on Friday — was the most powerful in recent years. It was followed on Saturday by a 3.3 tremor in the morning, and two more a second apart at 6:06 pm, registering 3.7 and 4.3.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the first two quakes had epicentres in Narsingdi, while the latter struck the capital itself.
Geological specialists Syed Humayun Akhter and Mehedi Ahmed Ansary told TIMES that the next three to four days should be monitored closely to determine whether these are foreshocks.
They warned that Bangladesh’s active subduction zone — created by the Indian tectonic plate sliding under the Burmese plate — could produce a far stronger quake depending on how much pressure has built up.
Bangladesh has not experienced a major earthquake in the past century, they said, noting historical patterns of large quakes occurring every 100–150 years.
Chattogram bureau and Sylhet correspondent contributed to this report.
