Country’s 6 districts at risk of a large-scale earthquake

Staff Correspondent: Sylhet district of Bangladesh has seen 10 earthquakes within 10 days – which is the first time for the country. As a result, panic has been created among people across the country. None can calculate why the tremors, far away from the earthquake epicenter is occurring only in Sylhet city. According to experts, six districts of the country are at risk of earthquakes besides Sylhet.
Researchers say there are “two main sources” of dangerous earthquakes in Bangladesh. One of them is the 300-km long Dauki Fault and the other one is the Teknaf-Chattogram Hill Tracts Subduction Zone. Therefore, Sylhet, Rangamati, Bandarban, Cox’s Bazar, Dhaka and Chattogram districts are moderately risky and the West and the South-Western districts are least risky.
Plate Tectonics is one of the main causes of earthquakes. Bangladesh is at the junction of three plates. Sylhet is located between the Indian and Burmese plates and the Dauki Fault is located in the north of Sylhet. Plate Tectonics accumulate a lot of energy, and this accumulated energy is released through earthquakes.
According to a report in the journal Nature Geoscience, there is a risk of major earthquakes in Bangladesh. According to the map of earthquake-prone areas in Bangladesh, Sylhet and Chattogram are high-risk areas.
Experts are shaken after seeing 10 earthquakes in 10 days in Sylhet. “In 1796, there was a big earthquake in the Dauki Fault area,” said Professor Anwar Hossain, informing that it takes “500 to 2,000 years” for a large-scale earthquake from a major earthquake. As such, it is expected to take another “300 years” for a large-scale earthquake in Bangladesh.
“However, there was no earthquake in the Chatttogram-Tripura Belt for a long time. There is a possibility of an earthquake,” he added.
According to experts, strong earthquakes have accumulated in the topography of the country on both sides. The first is in the Dauki Fault in the Sylhet region and another one is in the hilly region of the Chattogram-Tripura Belt. Although the capital Dhaka does not have the “geological conditions” to cause a major earthquake, a strong earthquake in Sylhet or Chattogram will have a serious impact here as well.

“There will be an earthquake, we can’t prevent it,” said Professor Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST). “But we have to be prepared to avoid losses. The issue of creating a new fault line under the ground of the city cannot be ruled out.”

It is to be mentioned that there were seven earthquakes felt in Sylhet on May 29 and one on May 30. Besides, two earthquakes struck within a minute and a half on Monday.