When a powerful earthquake struck Venezuela on Thursday, killing and injuring hundreds and sending frightened residents into the streets, the images felt uncomfortably familiar to many in Bangladesh.
For disaster experts, however, the event raised a more urgent question: what would happen if a similar tremor struck Dhaka during office hours, when millions are inside apartments, schools, markets and high-rise buildings?
While Bangladesh and Venezuela differ in geography and urban development, experts say such disasters serve as a reminder of the risks facing densely populated cities with vulnerable infrastructure.
“Understanding the risk and reducing the risk are two very different things,” said a disaster-risk researcher involved in urban assessments.
Three cities under threat
Bangladesh sits near the convergence of major tectonic plates, making it highly vulnerable to earthquakes. Unlike cyclones, earthquakes strike without warning.
In Dhaka, experts say the greatest danger would not only be the shaking itself, but also collapsing buildings, blocked roads and delayed emergency response in a congested urban landscape.
Government assessments have repeatedly identified Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet as the country’s most at-risk cities.
Dhaka’s rapid vertical expansion has produced thousands of multi-storey residential and commercial buildings, often with limited open space for evacuation.
Many structures were built before modern seismic standards were introduced, while others may not fully comply with approved designs or have been modified through additional floors and rooftop extensions.
“Building collapse is what kills people during earthquakes,” said an engineer familiar with urban risk assessments. “The real question is how many structures will remain standing when the ground starts moving.”
Preparedness beyond paper
Bangladesh has an Earthquake Emergency Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining coordination among agencies during a major quake, including search and rescue, emergency response and recovery.
But implementation remains uneven.
Earthquake drills are still rare in many schools, offices and institutions, while preparedness exercises cover only limited areas of the country.
Initiatives such as Dhaka Earthquake and Emergency Preparedness (DEEP) and DEEPER have trained volunteers, students, teachers and health workers, with evacuation plans and safe gathering points introduced in some institutions.
However, experts say these efforts still reach only a small portion of the population.
Government plans
Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu told parliament on Wednesday that 445 locations in Dhaka have been identified as potential earthquake-safe shelters, with proposals sent to the Prime Minister’s Office for approval.
Of these, 256 are in Dhaka South City Corporation and 189 in Dhaka North City Corporation.
The government is also preparing a coordinated database of 100,000 trained volunteers in Dhaka and surrounding areas for emergency response.
Officials say coordination has been strengthened among the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Geological Survey Department and other agencies to improve early warning and information dissemination.
Dulu also said enforcement of the Bangladesh National Building Code is being strengthened to promote earthquake-resilient construction.
Risk known, but gaps remain
Experts caution against direct comparisons between Bangladesh and Venezuela, noting that each earthquake is shaped by different geological and urban conditions.
But they say global disasters consistently highlight the same lesson: when strong shaking meets weak infrastructure, the outcome can be catastrophic.
Bangladesh, they add, is no longer lacking in knowledge. Risk maps, preparedness plans and institutional frameworks already exist.
The challenge lies in execution.
Key priorities include stricter enforcement of building codes, retrofitting vulnerable structures, expanding community preparedness and conducting regular drills.
“Safe shelters and volunteers are important,” said an urban disaster-risk expert, “but reducing casualties begins long before an earthquake occurs. The first line of defence is ensuring buildings do not collapse.”
Experts say the lesson is not that Bangladesh will face the same scenario as Venezuela, but whether years of planning can be translated into action before a major quake strikes—determining whether the country faces a manageable emergency or a national tragedy.