Experts fear that a major earthquake could cripple Bangladesh's disaster response capability and make rebuilding efforts an even more monumental task.
They urged to demolish buildings that do not comply with the building code, as collapsed structures would serve as severe impediments to road movement, and to centralize disaster management systems. Given Bangladesh's coastal location, there is also a risk of tsunamis from earthquakes with magnitude 7 or greater on the Richter scale.
However, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Md Kamrul Hasan told Dhaka Tribune the country currently has adequate rescue equipment and skilled manpower to carry out post-earthquake rescue operations.
“We have also given priority to maintaining the national building code,” he added.
When contacted, Director General of Disaster Management Department Mizanur Rahman said the government has given instructions to demolish high-risk buildings that do not comply with the national building code, but the directive is yet to be implemented due to a lack of manpower, time, and ground-level issues.
He further said they have already purchased earthquake evacuation equipment and stored in under Fire Service and Civil Defense, while two rescue helicopters are now used by the Bangladesh Air force.
Neither official could give exact figures on how much manpower and equipment was available.
Under the Directorate of Disaster Management, the third phase of a project for procurement of equipment for search, rescue operations and emergency communication in earthquakes and other disasters is underway.
The total cost of the project stands at Tk2,276 crore. The three-year project will end in October this year.
Equipment purchased under the project will be distributed among 10 institutions, including Fire Service and Civil Defense, the Arms Forces, Navy, Coast Guard, CPP, Red Crescent, police, RAB, and Border Guard Bangladesh.
The equipment includes flame retardant vests, raincoats, hard hats, gum boots, life jackets, as well as primary treatment and personal safety gear.
Project Director Joint Secretary Kazi Safiqul Alam said: “We are not as well equipped as other developing countries to beat post-earthquake situations.”
In 2016, the government signed an agreement with China to build a National Operations Centre for disaster response in Tejgaon. The centre is to be built with financial and technical assistance from China, but the survey for the project is yet to be completed.
Risky buildings
According to a recent study by the Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI), about 56.26% of buildings in the capital are at high risk and 36.87% at moderate risk of damage from an earthquake of magnitude 4 or higher.
Up to 80% of the buildings may collapse if earthquakes the same size as the recent ones in Turkey and Syria hit Bangladesh, the report claimed.
The country has experienced over 500 earthquakes of minor-to-moderate magnitudes between 1971 and 2021, according to geological surveys.
The Ministry of Housing and Public Works has formed a 12-member committee with the aim of formulating a draft rule regarding the legalization of buildings constructed without the authority's approval or by violating the terms and conditions following the recommendation of Dhaka Metropolitan Area Plan 2022-2035.
The committee will determine the application process, fees, and fines for legalization of illegal buildings.
The illegal or unauthorized buildings in Dhaka will be inspected on site and report will be submitted for review as per Building Policy 2008 and the BNBC, said Convener of the committee Md Oliullah, additional secretary (Admin-1) of the Housing and Public Works Ministry.
He said the committee had no intention of legalizing any buildings which would pose a serious risk during an earthquake.
Fire service steps
After the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, the Fire Service and Civil Defence called an emergency divisional meeting and prepared a proposal containing about 14 points according to the national plan for disaster management (2021-2025) and sent it to the ministry, which is awaiting the approval of the Cabinet.
Recommendations include to implement existing laws, purchase modern equipment, and to identify and demolish risky buildings.
According to Fire Service and Civil Defence, at least 30% safety can be ensured by taking effective measures to demolish buildings.
The equipment they have can handle initial rescue operations, but not evacuations across the country.
If an earthquake of magnitude 7 occurs now, with the current capacity, about 500,000 buildings, or 60% of the total buildings in Dhaka city, would collapse, observed the Fire Service Division.
"Maximum buildings will collapse," said Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director (operation & maintenance) of the Fire Service. “Currently about 60% of buildings have been constructed by deviating from the plan in Dhaka city.”
He fears that buildings in Old Dhaka may be declared abandoned after collapses as it would be near impossible to conduct evacuation operations.
He stressed the need to identify and demolish the risky buildings as soon as possible, despite any difficulty due to manpower shortages at the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
Fire Service and Civil Defence have taken steps to circulate awareness videos and leaflets using streams and social media.
He warned of electricity, water and gas connections being snapped during earthquakes.
“Road communication will be very difficult. We will need to rely on air and water,” the official added.
There are 13,000 volunteers under Fire Service and Civil Defence and a reserve force under the Arms Forces Division that work as frontier rescue teams to combat any disaster.
The government has initially set a target of training 66,000 volunteers, with 46,000 volunteers having already been trained to deal with post-earthquake situations.
There are also 76,140 responders under the Cyclone Preparedness Program, 25,000 BNCC volunteers, as well as volunteers of the Red Crescent. The Fire Service is aiming to train a further 30,000 responders.
