Tectonic Threat Looms: Bangladesh Urged to Bolster Earthquake Preparedness

Following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, Bangladeshi officials are urged to enhance earthquake awareness and strengthen building resilience due to the risks posed by surrounding tectonic plates. The Director of Bangladesh Met Department emphasizes the potential seismic activity and the importance of revising building codes.

A day after Myanmar was rocked by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake, Bangladesh's Met Department Director, Momenul Islam, highlighted the risk of tectonic activity in Bangladesh, a nation flanked by three tectonic plates. He underscored the urgency for public earthquake awareness and enhancing building resilience.

Islam explained that Bangladesh sits amidst the Eurasian, Indo-Australian, and Burma microplates, each highly active. This geographical positioning poses a constant threat, despite the recent quake's epicenter being some 600 kilometers away. "This is the time to build earthquake awareness," Islam emphasized, advocating for updated building codes.

The earthquake originated at the Sagaing fault line in Myanmar. While Bangladesh felt minimal effects, Islam warned that the region might be overdue for significant tectonic activity, likening it to the catastrophic 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Meanwhile, India is dispatching relief materials to Myanmar to assist in the aftermath.

(With inputs from agencies.)