Dhaka feels 4.2 magnitude earthquake
Staff Reporter :
Though experts won’t able to predict the timing, but a major earthquake likely to hit Bangladesh anytime as a number of light to moderate quakes jolted the country in the recent past.
Meanwhile, an earthquake, measuring 4.2 magnitudes on the Richter Scale jolted parts of Dhaka on Sunday, just six days after a mild tremor on Sunday.
According to experts, the Great Bengal earthquake that struck in 1897, there was another earthquake known as Sreemangal earthquake that happened in 1917. Usually, a major earthquake takes place in a 100-year interval Experts, however, said that an earthquake measuring 8.22-9.99 magnitude on the Richter Scale is developing in the Dauki fault, which is a major fault along the southern boundary of the Shillong Plateau that may be a source of destructive seismic hazards for the adjoining areas, including northeastern Bangladesh.
Besides, recent earthquake evidence along the Madhupur Fault strongly supports the fact that the area is tectonically unstable and quite vulnerable to further seismicity, placing the fast-growing and densely populated Dhaka city in a potential danger.
The Madhupur Tract is in central Bangladesh, and surrounded by the Jamuna-Brahmaputra river floodplain.
Experts warned that series of light tremors could be sign of a major quake in the country and requested the authorities concerned to take precautionary measures.
Expert observed, earlier research suggests the uplift of the Madhupur Tract may have exerted a significant control on the avulsion history of the Jamuna River.
The Jamuna River avulsion history is cyclic, with a periodicity of about 2000 years.
Within these cycles, the Jamuna’s position has fluctuated from west to east and east to west, repeatedly.
As this avulsion history is thought to be, at least partly, related to seismicity in the region, future seismicity has the potential to cause future river avulsions and related flooding.
The Madhupur Tract is an exposed Quaternary deposit and it is believed that 1885 Bengal earthquake may have been caused by the rupture of the Madhupur blind fault.
Sylhet is Bangladesh’s most seismically susceptible region owing to its location in the southeast portion of Dauki fault.
In the last 101 years, almost 184 massive earthquakes in the Sylhet area have taken place between the magnitude of 4 and 7.2.
Among these earthquakes, the 1918 earthquake of Srimangal was selected as it was the first one to be felt and recorded in Bangladesh as a destructive earthquake.
However, the earthquake, measuring 4.2 magnitude on the Richter Scale, was felt at 12:49 pm — lasted only for a few seconds, according to a Bangladesh Meteorological Department update signed by Assistant Meteorologist Farzana Sultana on Sunday.
The epicentre of the earthquake was in Tangail district, 59 km northwest of the BMD Seismic Centre in Dhaka’s Agargaon, it said. No casualties were reported.
Earlier, on September 9, a mild earthquake jolted parts of Sylhet region.
The earthquake, measuring 4.4 magnitude on the Richter Scale, originated in the Cachar district of India’s Assam and lasted for a few seconds.
According to Mohammad Anisur Rahman, Deputy Director (Geology) of Geological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB), “an updated data analysis is needed as many new buildings are constructed across the country.
Besides, many ultra modern technology has been invented.
So, we have taken initiatives and preparing a proposal, which will be submitted to the government soon.
Once the proposal is approved, the geologists will able to achieve clear concept regarding earthquake.”
There are possibilities for a major earthquake in the country, he said adding that people should not be panicked regarding the matter.
However, a 2,500-km-long major fault line has developed beneath the surface of the earth from the Hindukush mountains up to Myanmar.
This poses a serious threat of jolting the earth anytime that would be devastating for countries like Bangladesh lying only 100 km from it, said experts.
Bangladesh may be jolted anytime as the country didn’t face a strong earthquake in the last 105 years.
They said an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale at the Madhupur fault line not far from Dhaka, might cause huge economic losses — a mind boggling USD 6.1 billion, which is about 50 per cent of the country’s annual national budget.
An earthquake of such a magnitude could result in the death of 1,31,000 people and cause injury to innumerable others, according to experts.
Expressing serious concern about the lack of adequate preparations and awareness programmes by the government to face such a natural disaster, experts suggested both short and long-term initiatives immediately, including retrofitting of hospitals, fire services and strict implementation of the building code to minimise the loss of lives and properties.
It depends on the depth of the epicentre of the quake to increase the magnitude of the tremor rocking places around, experts said, adding that an earthquake of 8.7 magnitude had jolted what is now Bangladesh in 1897.
No one can predict on earthquake and it could happen anytime, they said.
