6 earthquakes in three months; anxiety is increasing in Bangladesh
Earthquake was again felt in Bangladesh last week on Monday. The epicenter of this earthquake was Dauki in Meghalaya, India. According to the Meteorological Department, its magnitude was 5.2 on the Richter scale. Like different parts of Northeast India, this earthquake was felt in different parts of Bangladesh including Dhaka. Bangladesh is worried about this. Because six earthquakes have occurred in Bangladesh in the last three months.
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Three of them happened in September. Two earthquakes occurred in August. Two of these six earthquakes had their source on the Dauki fault. According to experts, there are two major sources of earthquakes under the soil of Bangladesh. Among them, the Dauqi fault is one. Here, earthquakes have been happening one after the other for several years. As a result, anxiety is also increasing.
Many have also expressed fear that a major earthquake may occur in Bangladesh at any time. However, there is disagreement among experts as to what might be the result of these small earthquakes on the Dauki fault. Dhaka University’s Disaster Science and Climate Resilience Department professor ASM Maqsud Kamal said, ‘Monday’s earthquake is not part of the Dawki fault. It falls within the Oldham Fault. In 1897 Meghalaya experienced a major earthquake. This source is where the earthquake occurred. In 1897, the magnitude of that earthquake was 8.3. Since then there have been no major earthquakes in the region. However, even if the source of this time is not Dauqi, one earthquake after another is creating fear in this region.
Experts said that apart from Dawki, another source of earthquakes in Bangladesh is a subduction zone extending inland from Sylhet to Teknaf. There, another basement subducts beneath the tectonic plate, and there are many branches of the active main fault. According to them, the occurrence of small earthquakes on the Dauki fault means that the enormous energy stored in the fault is slowly being depleted. So there is less risk of major earthquakes.
According to another group, the energy is passing through the related nearby ‘sister faults’ through these small earthquakes. But the strength of the main fault line remains intact.
On September 17, an earthquake of 4.2 magnitude was felt in various parts of the country including Dhaka. Its origin was at Tangail, 59 km northwest of Dhaka. On September 11, an earthquake was felt in Sylhet region.
The earthquake that occurred on August 29 had its origin in Sylhet. An earthquake of magnitude 8.6 occurred in that area in 1950. Experts said, ‘Southeast part of Dauki fault is in Bangladesh or nearby area. So the danger of a big earthquake cannot be ruled out.’
