Bangladesh is at high risk for earthquakes due to its location between three tectonic plates - the Indian, Eurasian, and Burma plates. The country is divided into three zones based on earthquake risk - high, moderate, and low. Several faults pose risks, including the Bogra, Tripura, Sub Dauki, Shillong, and Assam faults, with the potential for quakes up to magnitude 8.5. Earthquake risks are increased by Bangladesh's large population, unplanned construction, weak infrastructure, lack of awareness and preparedness. Several government and non-government organizations are working to mitigate earthquake risks.

1. Earthquake In Bangladesh
Md Asif Hasan

2. Geographically Bangladesh is located close to the two
active Jones created by two tectonic plates ( the Indian
plate and the Eurasian plate). Moreover, the country is
surrounded by the Himalayan Arc, the Shillong Plateau
and the Dauki fault system in the north, the Burmese Arc
and Arakan Yoma anticlinorium in the east (Ali and
Choudhury, 2001), which makes Bnagladsh prone to
severe earthquake.
INTRODUCTION

3.  Bangladesh and Ganges
Brahmaputra delta lies at the
junction of three plates: the
Indian plate, the Eurasian
plate and the Burma platelet.
 Bangladesh is bounded by the
Shilling plateau to the north,
Indian shield to the west, the
Indo-Barman ranges to the
east and Bay of Bengal to the
south that make the complex
geographical position.
Figure: Tectonic framework of Bangladesh
(Banglapedia, 2015)
Tectonic Position of Bangladesh

4. Indian plate is moving to
the northeast direction at
the rate of 6 cm per year
and sub ducting under
the Eurasian plate and
Burmese plate at a rate
of 45 mm and 35 mm per
year respectively that
continues the uplift of
Himalayan Arc and Indo-
Barman Arch.
Figure: Major faults existing in Bangladesh
(Wordpress, 2014).

5. Earthquake zone of Bangladesh
 Zone 1:High Risk
Mymensing,Sylhet,Rangpur,La
lmonirhat, Kurigram etc. are with
the possible magnitude of 7 on
Richter scale
 Zone 2:Moderate Risk
Bogra, Dinajpur, Dhaka, Comilla,
panchgar etc. are with the
possible magnitude of 6 on
Richter scale
 Zone 3:Low Risk
Khulna, jessor, Barisal,
Patuakhali etc. are with the
possible magnitude of 6 on
Richter scale
Figure: Seismic zoning of Bangladesh
(Wikimedia, 2015).

6. Considering geology and tectonics of
Bangladesh and neighborhood five
tectonic blocks can be identified
which have been active in producing
damaging earthquakes. Considering
fault length, fault characteristics,
earthquake records etc the maximum
magnitude of earthquakes that can
be produced in different tectonic
blocks were predicted in below:
 Bogra fault zone, 7.0
 Tripura fault zone, 7.0
 Sub Dauki fault zone, 7.3
 Shillong fault zone, 7.0
 Assam fault zone, 8.5

9.  The tectonic location
 The huge number of population
 The unplanned buildings
 The week infrastructure
 The different types of faults
 Less consciousness of people
 Less planning of government
 Economical lacking
 Lack of land use planning
Reasons Behind
Earthquake Risk of Bangladesh

10. Ministry of disaster and management
Institute of Earthquake Engineering
Research(IEER), Chittagong
Dhaka University Earth and Observatory Center
Bangladesh Earthquake Society(BES)
Geological Survey of Bangladesh(GSB)
Action Aid Bangladesh(AAB)
Bangladesh Concrete Society(BCS)
Mitigation: Organization Involvement