At least 150,000 people will die only in Dhaka if a 7-magnitude earthquake strikes the country, said State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman.
"Bangladesh has not yet achieved enough capacity to deal with earthquakes. If there is a 7-magnitude earthquake in the country, 150,000 people will be killed in Dhaka and 500,000 people will be killed across the country. Some 172,000 homes will be destroyed,” the state minister said while speaking as the chief guest at the 'Super-Samakal Earthquake and Fire Preparedness Award 2023' program at a hotel in the capital on Wednesday.
He also said the entire country will be turned into an earthquake-resilient state in the next 50 years.
"It took 30 years for a country like Japan to become an earthquake-resilient country. The government is already working to make Bangladesh an earthquake-resilient country in at least 50 years,” he said.
The state minister said the vulnerable and more than 100-year-old buildings in Dhaka will be demolished in phases, adding that no new buildings will be allowed to be constructed without building code.
New earthquake-resistant buildings will be constructed in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), he added.
The state minister said: “New earthquake-resistant buildings will be constructed with the financial and technical support of JICA. Not only buildings but all new bridges will be built with earthquake-resistant capabilities.”
“The government has already taken initiatives to make Dhaka earthquake-proof by dividing it into eight zones,” he added.
