Sylhet becomes earthquake-prone area Risky’ buildings yet to be removed
S A Shofiee, Sylhet :
Sylhet is highly vulnerable due to its geological location and earthquake-prone area. This region may face major earthquakes. Experts say frequent mild earthquakes are a prediction of major earthquakes.
Especially after 12:15 pm on Sunday, another earthquake struck Sylhet. The earthquake’s epicenter was Chhat in Sunamganj. Its magnitude was 4 on the Richter scale. Although the magnitude was low, experts are seeing this earthquake as a warning signal due to its epicenter.
According to them, there are many active faults in Assam, Meghalaya, and Dawki areas of India. These faults often try to move by shaking. This often causes small earthquakes. This means that there is a possibility of a major earthquake in this region.
In 2019, to protect some from the horrors of earthquakes, the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) prepared a list of 24 buildings in Sylhet city as ‘high risk’.
Four buildings on the list were removed and two more buildings were renovated by experts. Even after 6 long years, the SCC has not taken any action so far regarding the remaining 18 establishments.
These establishments include homes, schools and business establishments. Capitalizing on such weakness of the city administration, these establishments have been turned upside down. These old buildings have been decorated with colors and given a new look.
Due to this, people are living in these establishments at the risk of their lives. Business establishments are also at great risk. In this situation, the SCC is silent.
The list of ‘risky’ for earthquakes has been largely forgotten.
In the heart of Sylhet city, in the Zindabazar area, the dilapidated shopping mall ‘Raja Mansion’.
After several earthquakes in 2019, the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) conducted a survey in the city and identified this building along with several other buildings as ‘risky’. At that time, the building was also ordered to be demolished.
Raja Mansion remained closed for a few days after the City Corporation’s operation. Then, the market was reopened in a yellow color. Raja Mansion is still standing despite the change in color.
The same situation is with the multi-storey building ‘Mitali Mansion’ in Zindabazar. This building, which was on the list of risky buildings, is continuing its activities by changing its color.
The Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) is now silent about these buildings, which were declared ‘risky’ six years ago and ordered to be demolished. As a result, these buildings have further increased the risk of damage in earthquake-prone Sylhet.
The investigation revealed that after several earthquakes in 2019, the City Corporation took some initiatives to deal with the risk, including demolishing ‘risky’ buildings in Sylhet City and testing the earthquake resistance of all multi-storey buildings. At that time, after testing some building experts, the City Corporation published a list of 25 ‘risky’ buildings in the city.
On that day, 7 shopping malls in the city, namely Surma Market, City Super Market, Madhuban Super Market, Samabaya Market, Mitali Mansion and Raja Mansion, were ordered to be closed for 10 days.
At the same time, the Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) had taken the initiative to test about 42,000 multi-storey buildings in the city. But that initiative did not progress. And after the scheduled 10 days, the closed buildings were opened without any renovation.
In this regard, the recently retired Chief Engineer of Sylhet City Corporation, Nur Azizur Rahman, said, we had given instructions to close 10 extremely ‘risky’ buildings.
We also asked the owners to renovate them following the advice of experts. But they did not listen to us. When the buildings were to be demolished again, they filed a case in court.
According to the CCIC list, the ‘risky’ buildings in the city are – Collectorate Bhaban-3, Cooperative Bank Bhaban Market, Women’s Affairs Officer’s Office Bhaban, Surma Market, City Super Market in Bandar Bazar area, Mitali Mansion, Ajmer Hotel in Darga Gate, Madhuban Market, Mannan View in Kalashil area, Sashodha-226 in Sheikh Ghat, 51/3 Government Bhaban in Chowkidekhi area.
Nabapushpa-26/A in Jatarpur, Raja Mansion in Zindabazar, 4/A Kibria Lodge in Puran Lane area, Mitali-74 in Kharpara, Meghna-A-39/2 in Mirzajangal, Pathantula Government Primary School, Waris Manzil Ekta-377/7, Hossain Manzil Ekta-377/8 and Shahnaz Riaz Villa Ekta-377/9 in Uttar Bagbari area, Noorani-14 in Bankalapara area, Municipal Shop and Municipal Shopping Center in Dhopadighi Dakshinpar, and 62/B- Prabhati, Sridhara House in Lechubagan area of East Pirmahalla.
Experts warn that a major earthquake can occur in Sylhet at any time. Most of the multi-storey buildings can collapse in this. Therefore, the building code must be followed when demolishing or renovating multi-storey buildings and constructing new buildings.
Mushtaq Ahmed, a professor at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, said, “Currently, most of the buildings in Sylhet are not able to withstand high-level earthquakes. There are about 42,000 buildings in Sylhet city. Most of these are old and weak, which are at risk of collapsing even in a moderate earthquake.”
He said, “Around 60 to 65 percent of the buildings built in Sylhet city did not follow proper rules in construction. As a result, there is a possibility of huge loss of life and extensive damage to property in the event of an earthquake in this region.”
According to the Sylhet Meteorological Office, the Dauki Fault on the Sylhet border is called the ‘danger zone’ of Bangladesh’s earthquakes. In May 2021, 10 earthquakes occurred in Sylhet within a 10-day interval, and this fault was the origin of this fault.
The earthquake that was felt last Sunday (September 14) was 14 kilometers east of Udalguri in Assam, India. Its magnitude was 5.8 on the Richter scale.
As such, several earthquake faults are active in these Indian states adjacent to Sylhet. These faults are a big cause for concern for experts. Experts believe that this earthquake in Assam is a warning sign for Sylhet.
Former professor and earthquake expert of the Department of Geology of Dhaka University, Humayun Akhtar said in this regard, ‘We have seen in our research that there are two sources of earthquakes in Bangladesh. One is in the north, the other is in the east.
The north side is the Dauki Fault (Dauki Fault). The earthquake that occurred on Sunday is in the Himalayan Main Frontal Thrust Belt. That is close to the Dauki Fault, another source of our earthquakes.’
He said, this part from Sylhet to Cox’s Bazar or Chittagong is very dangerous. Why hasn’t there been a major earthquake here in over a thousand years? That is, the energy that has been accumulated or is continuously accumulating has not left its power even in the last one thousand years.
It can become a place of a major earthquake at any time. We have seen in research that there is enough energy accumulated here to cause an earthquake of magnitude 8.2 to 9. And it can strike at any time.
According to the statistics of the Sylhet Meteorological Department, from 2023 to 2025, at least 7 earthquakes originated in Sylhet division, Golapganj, Jagannathpur, Maijhbag and Nabiganj. In addition, the Sylhet Meteorological Office said that more than 150 earthquakes have been felt in Sylhet and its surrounding areas in the last two years.
Deputy Director of the Sylhet Fire Service and Civil Defense Md. Moniruzzaman said, 75 percent of buildings in Sylhet will be damaged if an earthquake occurs. Especially old buildings will be damaged more. However, we have no shortage of equipment.
Accordingly, we are prepared to deal with the risk. But most of the buildings in Sylhet city were built without following the rules. In that case, it will be difficult to enter with a car or to get to the place quickly in case of an accident. However, the Fire Service has announced that it will take initiatives to create at least 5,000 volunteers and train them in addition to making people aware of earthquakes.