With unplanned and congested buildings, violations of building code, lacklustre monitoring and inadequate response infrastructure, coupled with a growing population, it seems more than likely that we will face an unfathomable humanitarian crisis if/when a major earthquake strikes Dhaka. Despite repeated warnings from experts and minor earthquakes like the one on December 2, whose epicentre was alarmingly close to the capital, the authorities appear unconcerned. So, should we assume that they have accepted our fate and are simply waiting for hundreds of thousands to die? I wholeheartedly hope that is not the case. So, I urge the authorities to take the safety of our lives seriously and work diligently to prepare for the aftermath of a major earthquake.

Afsara Khatun

Dhaka