Bangladesh is one of the most tectonically active regions in the world. Bangladesh is facing a high risk of moderate to strong earthquakes that may result in widespread damage. It sits where three tectonic plates meet: the Indian Plate, the Eurasian Plate, and the Burmese Plate. Bangladesh is located close to the two subduction zones created by two tectonic plates: the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate. The capital city Dhaka is vulnerable to the earthquake as the country is in an active region. Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to seismic activity.
There are many active faults along this boundary, such as the enormous Dauki fault that borders northern Bangladesh. According to a seismic zoning map prepared by
the BUET, 43 per cent areas in Bangladesh are rated high risk, 41 per cent moderate and 16 percent low . divides the country into three earthquake vulnerability zones. Panchagarh, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram,Jamalpur, Sherpur, Mymensingh, Netrakona, Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, Moulvibazar, Sylhet, Habiganj and Brahmanbaria are placed in the highest risk zone.
Seven major earthquakes struck Bangladesh during the last 150 years and only two had the epicentre within the country. Based on the epicentres of earlier earthquakes, Dhaka has crossed 130 years; Chittagong has crossed 250 years and Sylhet about 100 years, which now raises the prospect of a major earthquake striking Bangladesh
- Zone-1: Sylhet-Mymensingh is with the possible magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale.
- Zone-2: Chittagong-Comilla-Dhaka and Tangail are with the possible magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale.
- Zone-3: Rest of the country is with possible magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale.
Magnitude 2.5+ Earthquakes Last 7 Days
Historical Eartquaqe in Bangladesh
Since 1900 more than 100 moderate to large earthquakes occurred in Bangladesh, 65 events occurred after 1960. This increase in earthquake activity is an indication of fresh tectonic activity or propagation of fractures from the adjacent seismic zones
Year | Magnitude of Earthquake | Epicentre & Location | Summary and Effect |
1548 | Unknown – | Sylhet and Chittagong | The earth opened in many places and threw up water and mud of sulphurous smell. |
1642 | Unknown | Sylhet | Buildings were cracked but there was no loss of life. |
1663 | Unknown | Assam in India and Sylhet district in Bangladesh. | Severe earthquake, continued for half an hour. |
1762 | Unknown | Foul island, Chedua island, Chittagong, Eastern bank of the Meghna, Dhaka. | Raised the coast of Foul island by 2.74m and the northwest coast f Chedua island by 6.71m above sea level. Caused a permanent submergence of 155.40 sq km near Chittagong. n Dhaka 500 persons lost their lives, the rivers and jheels were gitated and raised high above their usual levels and when they eceded their banks were strewn with dead fish. A large river dried up, a tract of land sank and 200 people with all heir cattle were lost. Two volcanoes were said to have opened in the Sitakunda hills. |
1775 | Unknown | Dhaka | No loss of life |
1812 | Unknown | Many places of Bangladesh, violent in Sylhet | |
1865 | Unknown | Many places of Bangladesh | no serious damage occurred. |
1869 | Unknown | Sylhet | Steeple of the church was shattered, walls of the courthouse and he circuit bungalow cracked, in the eastern part of the district the anks of many rivers caved in. |
1885 | 7 | Manikganj (epicentre) | Generally associated with the deep-seated Jamuna Fault. |
1889 | 7.5 | Jaintia Hills (epicentre) – Sylhet | Affected Sylhet town and surrounding areas. |
1897 | 8.7 | Epicentre at Shillong Plateau. Affected area- Sylhet, Mymensingh, Rajshahi. | Caused serious damage to masonry buildings in Sylhet townwhere the death toll rose to 545. The tremor was felt throughout Bengal, from the south Lushai Hills on the east to Shahbad on the west.n Mymensingh, many public buildings of the district town were wrecked, very few of the two-storied brick-built houses belonging o zamindars survived.Heavy damage was done to the bridges on the Dhaka Mymensingh railway, traffic was suspended for about a fortnight. The river communication of the district was seriously affected by Brahmaputra).Loss of the property was estimated at five million Taka. Rajshahi suffered severe shocks, 15 persons died. n Tippera masonry buildings and old temples suffered a lot, total damage was estimated at Rs 9,000. |
1918 | 7.6 | Epicentre- Srimangal, Maulvi Bazar., | Intense damage occurred in Srimangal, minor effects in Dhaka. |
1930 | 7.1 | Epicentre – Dhubri, Assam. | Major damage in the eastern parts of Rangpur district. |
1934 | 8.3 | Epicentre – Darbhanga of Bihar, India. (15 January) | Great damage in Bihar, Nepal and Uttar Pradesh, Bangladesh was not affected. |
1934 | 7.1 | Epicentre – Dhubri of Assam, India. (3 July) | Damages in greater Rangpur district of Bangladesh. |
1950 | 8.4 | Epicentre in Assam, India. | The tremor was felt throughout Bangladesh but no damage was reported. |
1997 | 6 | Chittagong | Minor damage around Chittagong town. |
1999 | 5.2 | Maheshkhali Island with the epicentre in the same place. | Severely felt around Maheshkhali island and the adjoining sea. Houses cracked and in some cases collapsed. |
2003 | 5.1 | Kolabunia union of Barkal upazila, Rangamati. | — |
2006 | 4.2 | Epicentre located 110 km southwest of Dhaka near Narail. | The tremor was widely felt in Dhaka as well as other places in the country. |
2008 | 3.8 | Epicentre – Situated in Manikganj 41 km west-northwest of DUEO (believed to be originated from the Madhupur fault) | Created considerable panic among the city dwellers. |
2008 | 5.1 | Epicentre – 12 km northeast of Mymensingh city and120 km north of Dhaka. | Caused panic, tremors from this earthquake were felt in many parts of the Dhaka metropolitan area. |
2008 | 4.5 | Epicentre – 50 km southeast of Dhaka near Kachua of Chandpur. | Caused tremendous panic among the city dwellers. |
2009 | 6.1 | Epicentre – Eastern Bhutan, 410 km north northeast of Dhaka. Originated from the Main Central Thrust (MCT). | Shook most of Bangladesh. |
2009 | 7.5 | Epicentre – North Andaman Islands of the Bay of Bengal and seacoast of Myanmar. | No significant damage was reported throughout Bangladesh, but the tremor was felt strongly in Dhaka. |
2010 | 4.8 | The tremor was felt in Dhaka and its surrounding areas, Epicentre – 45 km southwest from Dhaka. | —- |
2011 | 6.8 | Epicentre – 500 north from Dhaka in Indian Sikkims’s capital Gangtok. | The tremor felt was strong enough in Dhaka and the northern part of Bangladesh |
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Today’s Earthquakes in Bangladesh –
The latest earthquakes in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has had: (M1.5 or greater) 0 earthquakes in the past 24 hours 0 earthquakes in the past 7 days
Today’s Earthquakes in Dhaka, Bangladesh
The latest earthquakes in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Dhaka, Bangladesh has had: (M1.5 or greater) 0 earthquakes in the past 24 hours 0 earthquakes in the past 7 days