The government will form an expert-led task force and take immediate preparedness measures following a high-level emergency meeting on earthquake risks, where leading scientists and academics reaffirmed that there is no reason to panic but urged coordinated, science-based action.
The decisions were made at a meeting held on Monday at the office of the chief adviser, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, in the wake of multiple tremors felt across the country on Friday and Saturday.
The chief adviser asked attending experts to submit written recommendations “as quickly as possible”, saying the government would act immediately on their guidance.
“We do not want to fold our hands, nor take any unscientific steps,” he said.
“Give us your suggestions in writing, and the government is ready to take all necessary steps.”
He said the process is already underway to form one or more technical committees and a task force, which will begin work as soon as expert submissions are received.
The task force will include both government and private-sector specialists and will be responsible for rapid earthquake preparedness measures, including drills, public awareness, and building safety assessments.
‘No need to panic, but prepare’
The meeting brought together an unusually large panel of the country’s top earthquake scientists, researchers and university professors from Buet, MIST, Dhaka University, Chittagong University and the Meteorological Department.
Cabinet advisers, including Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, Disaster and Relief Adviser Farooq-e-Azam, Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan and Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan also attended.
Experts unanimously stressed that while the recent tremors were unsettling, there is no scientific basis for widespread panic.
They warned that social media rumors — predicting major earthquakes “within 48 hours,” “within 10 days,” or “within a month” — were completely baseless.
“No one can say the exact moment an earthquake will occur,” experts said.
“A timeframe can only be approximated from long-term patterns, not day-by-day predictions.”
‘Low earthquake-prone area’
Professor Dr Zillur Rahman of Dhaka University said the priority should be to reassess the country’s known seismic sources and their potential shaking impact.
“The likelihood of a major earthquake in Bangladesh is low because we are a low earthquake-prone region,” he said.
“But we must still be adequately prepared.”
Dhaka University’s Professor Dr Humayun Akhtar stressed the need to involve youth in awareness-building.
“We need plans at four levels — indoors, outdoors, individual and institutional. If we engage young people in hazard planning and technology-based initiatives, the public will prepare mentally.”
Cuet’s Professor Jahangir Alam advised ministries to immediately evaluate the condition of facilities under their jurisdiction, including hospitals, schools, universities and utility systems, noting that training and drills will raise awareness, not panic.
MIST Professor Md Zainul Abedin said the public must be assured that panic is unnecessary: “People need clear, specific information. They must know which open spaces are available for gathering, and drills must be run in homes, schools and workplaces.”
Experts also recommended assessing hospitals to ensure they can handle earthquake emergencies, including reviewing building strength, medical capacity and emergency response readiness.
Software tracking
Chief Engineer (Civil) of the Public Works Department, Md Khalequzzaman Chowdhury, briefed the meeting on a new software tool currently being used to collect damage data from earthquake-affected buildings.
More than 200 buildings have already been evaluated, with most cracks found in partition walls rather than load-bearing structures.
He said the software enables rapid assessment so that necessary follow-up actions can be taken quickly.
The chief adviser reiterated that the government seeks to avoid misinformation, panic and uncoordinated responses.
“Our responsibility is to protect people from fear while ensuring scientific preparedness,” he said.
“Whatever the disaster, we must be ready.”
