State Disaster and Relief Minister Mohibbur Rahman has warned that an earthquake of magnitude 8 may occur in the capital Dhaka. He also expressed fear that about 20 percent of the buildings would collapse and millions of people would be trapped.
He said this at the ‘BSRF Dialogue on Disaster Preparedness’ organized by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at the Secretariat on Wednesday (June 12). President Fasih Uddin Mahtab presided over BSRF general secretary Masudul Haque.
The state minister for relief said, ‘Bangladesh belongs to the earthquake-prone area. At any time there is a risk of earthquake of maximum magnitude 8 in Bangladesh. 20 percent of buildings may collapse. Millions of people may be trapped in Dhaka city. Many people are also at risk of death. We are working on these issues.’
However, Mohibbur Rahman said that there is no reason to fear, “The situation is happening in many countries. For example, there is an earthquake in Turkey. But they have built disaster-resilient infrastructure and social systems. Because of that they have developed the ability to solve problems when they arise.’
Mohibbur Rahman said, “If we want to leave a safe Bangladesh in the future, the whole nation must be made aware of the disaster.”Speaking about the government’s preparations, Mohibbur