Follow the Google News feed to get the latest news from The Daily Tribunal
A M N Zaman Chowdhury, Sylhet
The ‘Dauki Fault’ bordering Sylhet has become the ‘danger zone’ of earthquakes. Due to repeated earthquakes near this fault, it has become a new cause of concern.
An earthquake was felt in Sylhet on August 14 at 8:49:29 pm. Although no damage was reported in the quake, panic spread among the residents of the city. The source of this earthquake of 5.5 magnitude was the Dauki Fault formed by Kanaighat in Sylhet and Meghalaya in India. And this fault is the fear for Sylhet. It indicates a major earthquake across the country including Sylhet.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), its source was Kanaighat in Sylhet, 228 km from Dhaka, and near the Indian Assam border. Its origin was 10 km deep underground. The earthquake was felt across the country.
An earthquake with a magnitude above 5 is called a moderate earthquake. Below this, it is considered mild.
According to USGS data, among the recent earthquakes that originated in Bangladesh, the highest magnitude was an earthquake that occurred on July 26, 2003. It was felt in Chattogram and Khagrachhari. The level was 5.6.
Various surveys conducted by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology show that there are a total of 13 lakh multi-storied buildings in Dhaka, 3 lakh in Chattogram and 1 lakh in Sylhet districts. Seventy-five percent of these buildings are six-storied or more. These buildings and their dwellers will suffer the most in a magnitude 7 earthquake.
Bangladesh has experienced three earthquakes of more than magnitude 5 in the last one year. Before this, there were two earthquakes of magnitude 5.1 on August 15, 2022 and earthquake of magnitude 5.2 on January 23. In total, there have been 17 earthquakes in Bangladesh in the last one year. Most levels were between 4 and 5.
Earthquake experts say that this earthquake occurred in the underground part of Bangladesh known as Dauki Fault. Several earthquakes have occurred on this fault in the last few years. It raises the risk of major earthquakes. The epicenter of Monday’s earthquake was along the Dauki Fault. Earthquakes are increasing there. This indicates a major earthquake in the area. The Dauki Fault stretches about 300 kilometers east-west between Sylhet in Bangladesh and Assam in India. In 1897, an earthquake of magnitude 8.7 occurred on the Dauki Fault.
Being a border area, Sylhet Division is at risk of severe earthquake. A major earthquake is feared in Sylhet at any time. As an earthquake-prone area, the fear is increasing in the public mind.