A mild tremor, measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, shook Bangladesh along with neighbouring Myanmar and some north-eastern states of India Tuesday afternoon. Two people, including a school girl, were panicked to death in Sunamganj district. Tuesday's earthquake had its origin at a place, named, Ambasa in Indian state of Tripura.
The frequency of earthquake originating from places close to Bangladesh border has increased of late. One can hardly miss this reality. Though the country is considered to be vulnerable to this particular natural calamity, no major earthquake has yet hit it, fortunately. But there is no guarantee it won't.
None would dispute the fact that the impact of any major earthquake in this country would be disastrous. Some unofficial impact assessments are often published in the media. Those dish out some dreadful pictures. It is widely feared that thousands of pucca structures would collapse, killing innumerable people in Dhaka city alone. The Rajdhani Unnyan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) reportedly is trying to identify structures vulnerable to earthquake. Usually, old buildings are its targets. But the truth is that thousands of structures built in Dhaka city in recent decades, most probably, would fail to withstand the impact of a major earthquake since they were constructed in violation of building codes. It is quite hard to locate such buildings since this is a time-consuming and costly affair. It is most unlikely that the Rajuk would ever take up such a task.
Another important issue relevant to earthquake is the preparedness in place to face the post-disaster situation. Bangladesh has earned global recognition for its ability to handle situations following natural disasters like cyclones and floods. Pre- and post-disaster preparedness, in most cases, are found to be excellent. Barring preparation on the part of relevant district administrations and government agencies, voluntary organisations and private initiatives do engage themselves to help people in distress.
But earthquake is one of the worst-form of natural calamities, for it is hard to predict. It can destroy physical infrastructures, houses etc. and claim lives in thousands in a matter of few seconds. Rehabilitation following earthquake remains a very painful and expensive task. Bangladesh does neither have the necessary equipment nor expertise to handle a post-earthquake situation. The issue is very often highlighted in the media. But it is difficult to say that the government is doing enough on this account. For instance, it took an unusually long time to conduct the rescue operation and clear the debris of only one building, Rana Plaza at Savar. One can well imagine the horrendous scenario when there is a strong possibility of hundreds of buildings collapsing in the event of a strong earthquake. So, the government should make necessary preparations within its means to handle the post-disaster situation in the case of an earthquake. Everybody would pray that the calamity would not visit Bangladesh. But, it is better to remain prepared for the worst.
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