96 thousand may die if 7-pt quake hits city

They said in the event of an earthquake of the same intensity, more than 28 percent buildings of the country are likely to collapse.

The workshop on 'Earthquake' was organised jointly by Bangladesh Earthquake Society (BES) and Dhaka Reporters Unity at DRU auditorium in the city.

Speaking at the workshop Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, vice- chancellor of Brac University and president of BES, said there is no preparatory plan for rescue in the event of an earthquake.

Prof Chowdhury, who presided over the workshop, also underscored the need for proper implementation of building code.

He said both the government and private sector builders' have to maintain building code for constructing new buildings while owners of old and vulnerable buildings have to demolish their buildings to reduce the extent of damage.

BES Secretary General Prof Dr Mehedi Ahmed Ansari said more than 28 percent buildings of the country are vulnerable to earthquake and 40 percent of garment industry buildings might collapse if an earthquake of moderate intensity jolts the country.

Both the government and private sector builders' non-compliance with the building code makes Dhaka vulnerable to a possible colossal disaster, he observed.

Muhammad Abu Sadeque, deputy secretary of Disaster Management Bureau, said flood, cyclone and tidal wave are in the disaster management plan of the government, but earthquake has not been yet included in the disaster management plan.

It is now at drafting stage, he added.

Bangladesh is very close to the tectonic plate boundary of Indian-Australian and Eurasian plates, Sadeque said, adding it's the friction of Indian-Australian and Eurasian plates that caused the devastating earthquake in Pakistan and India in October last.

Bangladesh is situated on the same plate boundary in the south of the Himalayas along with Myanmar facing a high possibility of similar quake, he added.

Dr Md Ali Akbar Mollick, an earthquake specialist and senior structural engineer, said the government and private sector builders should construct new buildings following earthquake resistance design.

Seismologist Prof Aftab Alam Khan, Structural Engineer Dr Munaz Ahmed Noor, Engineer Abu Sadek and DRU President Shafiqul Karim Sabu also spoke at the workshop.