Introduction

Bangladesh and the northeastern Indian states have long been one of 
the seismically active regions of the world, and have experienced 
Siesmo-tectonic Plate in numerous large earthquakes during the past 200 years. The 
and around Bangladesh catastrophic earthquakes of 1762 and 1782 are believed to have been 
and Earthquakes in this partially responsible for the diversion of the main flow of the old 
surrounding Region Brahmaputra river from the west to present Jamuna river and main 
flow of the Arial Khan river to the present Padma channel. Since 
Md. Shahriar kabir Bhuiyan
1860 over 20 shallow and intermediate earthquake epicenters have 
Registration no: 11215007
been recorded in Bangladesh and the surrounding areas.
University of Asia Pacific, Dhaka,
Bangladesh

Course: CE6713‐Earthquake resistant Design

Conducted by: Prof. Dr. Md. Tareq Uddin
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Large Scale Fault Distribution Around Bangladesh
Bangladesh lies in the northeastern
Indian plate near the edge of the
Indian craton and at the junction of
three tectonic plates
 The Indian plate,
 The Eurasian plate and
 The Burmese micro plate.
These form two boundaries where
plates converge:
 The India-Eurasia plate
boundary to the north forming
the Himalaya Arc
 The India-Burma plate boundary
to the east forming the Burma
Arc
Fig. 1 Regional tectonic setup of Bangladesh with respect to plate configuration.
The Indian plate is moving ~6 cm/yr in a northeast direction and subducting under the Eurasian
(@ 45 mm/yr) the Burmese (@ 35 mm/yr) plates in the north and east, respectively .
An active fault in the upper crust tends to be locked so that plate motion is absorbed elastically
until stress rises to the breaking point and the fault ruptures. Thus the probability of an
earthquake from a given fault depends on the rate of motion and on the time since the last rupture.
3 earthquakes in Bangladesh
Fault Distribution Within Bangladesh
Himalayan Arc is characterized by three well defined fault systems (HFT, MBT and MCT) that are 2500
km long stretching from northwest syntaxial bend in Pakistan in the west to northeast syntaxial bend in
Assam in the east.
Dauki fault (about 300 km
long) trending east-west
located along the southern edge
of Shillong Plateau (Meghalaya-
Bangladesh border)
Assam-Sylhet fault (about
300 km long) trending
northeast southwest located in
the southern Surma basin
Madhupur fault (150 km
long) trending north-south
situated between Madhupur
Tract and Jamuna flood plain
Chittagong-Myanmar plate
boundary fault (about 800
km long) runs parallel to
Chittagong-Myanmar coast and
continues south to Sumatra
Fig.2 Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of Bangladesh and surroundings showing geological faults – potential sources of major
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 Fault Distribution Within Bangladesh (continue …) Fault Distribution Within Bangladesh (continue …)
Some tectonically impotent faults
Bogra fault :
Bogra fault is a normal fault which has been active at different times and located in
the Western Foreland Shelf. Movements along the Bogra fault led to the deposition of
a huge sedimentary pile within the bogra graben.
Shillong Plateau:
Shillong Plateau consist a Hinge Zone is characterised by a series of step faults across
its length. This zone is seismically active and the hypocentres of earthquake possibly
originating with this zone have depth ranges from 71 km to 150 km. The most
remarkable features of the Shillong Plateau is the E-W running Dauki fault which
marks the southern margin of the plateau. This fault zone forms a sharp escarpment
along the southern edge of the plateau. The steep escarpment indicates vertical
displacement along the Dauki Fault Zone where the Bangladesh plains subside
actively.
Chittagong-Tripura fold belt:
Chittagong-Tripura fold belt or the frontal fold belt of the Indo-Burman range, as it is
also called, is a fold thrust belt owing its origin to the subduction of the Indian plate
beneath the Burmese plate. the major anticlines of the Chittagong fold belts ie
Sitapahar anticline, Sitakund anticline, Bandarban anticline, Gobamura anticline,
Matamuhuri anticline, Dakhin Nhila anticline, Uthanchatra anticline have major east
dipping thrust faults on the western limb while some of them also have thrust fault
Fig. 3 Regional tectonic setup of Bangladesh with respect to plate configuration. (west dipping) in the eastern limb.
(Banglapedia 2003) 5 6

Fault Distribution Within Bangladesh (continue …) Historic Earthquake In Bangladesh

Date Name Ricther Epicentral
Magnitude Distance
from
Dhaka
(km)
10 January, Cachar 7.5 250
1869 Earthquake
14 July, 1885 Bengal 7 170
Earthquake
12 June, 1897 Great Indian 8.7 230
Earthquake
8 July, 1918 Srimongal 7.6 150
Earthquake
2 July, 1930 Dhubri 7.1 250
Earthquake
15 January, Bihar‐Nepal 8.3 510
1934 Earthquake
15 August, Assam 8.5 780
1950 Earthquake

Fig.4 Active Faults Surrounding Bangladesh (Bolt, 1985) Table 1: Epicentral Distance of Major Earthquakes
from Dhaka.

Fig.5 Location of fault of Bangladesh (Banglapedia 2003)

Fig.6 Babble chart map showing previous

7 8
earthquake event in and around Bangladesh.
Historic Earthquake In Bangladesh (continue …)
Before the coming of the Europeans, there was no definite record of earthquakes. Following is a chronology
of important earthquakes from 1548.
Some Important Historic Earthquakes:
1548-Assam :
The first known earthquake in Bangladesh was a “terrible one” and destroyed both Sylhet and Chittagong in
1548 (Rizvi, 1970; Iyengar, et al., 1999; Banglapedia, 2003), The details of the earthquake and the damage
are not available but it opened numerous ground fissures and caused liquefaction in Assam, Sylhet, Tripura
and in the Meghna floodplains. It is assumed from the descriptions in the reports that the 1548 earthquake
epicenter was somewhere in Assam or Nagaland. Though no reports were made on the affects of this
earthquake in Dhaka, it can nevertheless be well imagined that the intensity was V to VI in Dhaka.
1762-Chittagong :
The great earthquake of April 2, which raised the Coast of Foul Island by 2.74m and the northwest coast of
Chedua island by 6.71m above sea level and also caused a permanent submergence of 155.40 sq km near
Chittagong. The earthquake proved very violent in Dhaka and along the eastern bank of the Meghna as far as
Chittagong. In Dhaka 500 persons lost their lives, the rivers and jheels were agitated and rose high above
their usual levels and when they receded their banks were strewn with dead fish. A large river dried up, a
tract of land sank and 200 people with all their cattle were lost. Two volcanoes were said to have opened in
the Sitakunda hills. Based on the degree of damage of the ground surface, its aerial extent and comparing
with the 2004 Sumatra earthquake, the magnitude was 8.5+ on the Richter scale. The intensity of this
earthquake in Dhaka was MM VI.
1822-Kishorganj:
An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 on the Richter scale jolted Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh on 3 April
1822 at approximately 10:30 local time with severe damage reports coming in from Mymensingh (Martin
and Szeliga, 2010). The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 70 km northeast of Dhaka near
Kishoreganj. The tremor was followed by three minor aftershocks. The ground shaking in Dhaka was
believed to be VI on MM intensity scale. 9 10
Historic Earthquake In Bangladesh (continue …)
1897-Great Indian
This earthquake is known as the Great Indian Earthquake and one of the most powerful and destructive
earthquakes in recorded history. The quake was located in the western part of the Shillong Plateau about
200 km north of Dhaka. It probably originated from the reactivation of Dauki fault, (Szeliga et al., 2010),
although Bilham and England (2001) place it on the Oldham fault on the north side of the Shillong
Plateau. The magnitude is estimated from its surface effects and their spatial distribution suggests it was
8.7 on the Richter scale. The actual earthquake lasted about two and a half minutes in Shillong. The
shocks were so severe and prolonged that most buildings were leveled to the ground (Moore, 1910). The
earthquake left an area of 3,90,000 sq.km. in ruins and was felt over 6,50,000 sq.km. from the Myanmar
to Delhi. A large number of ground fissures and vents were observed. The epicentral area, including parts
of Bangladesh, witnessed many secondary effects like ejection of water and sand, rotation of pillars, rise
in river height, liquefaction of soils and sinking of houses. Hundreds of aftershocks—some very heavy
and some light—were felt in Dhaka over a period of two months. At Bordwar tea estate, a week after
the great shock, the surface of a glass of water standing on a table was in a constant state of tremor.
At Tura, a hanging lamp was kept constantly on the swing for three days. At least 1,626 people were
killed. Extensive damage from shaking and liquefaction occurred in Assam, Meghalay and Bangladesh
(Oldham, 1899; Ambraseys and Bilham, 2003). The earthquake intensity at Dhaka was VIII+ on MM
scale. A local Bangla newspaper (Dhaka Prokash, 1897, June 21) reported that “about five hundred
houses had totally collapsed and eight thousands houses had developed cracks in the 1897 earthquake”.
People panicked and became psychologically upset. Most foreigners left their houses and stayed in tents
in open spaces and on boats for a long period until the situation became normal. Most people in Dhaka
spent days without food or sleep in fear of the earthquake and its aftershocks (Dhaka Prokash, 1897, June
21).
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Historic Earthquake In Bangladesh (continue …)
1846-Mymensingh:
A strong earthquake was felt in Dhaka on 18 October 1846 at 2:00 pm local time. Buildings were
destroyed in Muktagacha and Sherpur while in Mymensingh many structures, including the mosque, the
church and many government buildings were damaged. Several prisoners were injured by falling debris at
the jail in Mymensingh (Martin and Szeliga, 2010). The epicenter located 150 km north of Dhaka near
Phulpur of Mymensingh. The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter scale. Though no reports
of damage were available for Dhaka, it shook the city with MM intensity VI.
1869-Cachar
This quake is known as Cachar Earthquake, triggered on 10 January 1869 at 17:15 BST with epicenter
9.4 km north of Kumbhir (Assam). It caused great damage in Silchar, Shillong and Manipur of
northeastern India, considerable damage in Sylhet and was also felt in Dhaka. The earthquake had a
magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale and is believed to have originated from the reactivation of Assam-
Sylhet fault. This was followed by three minor tremors within a period of three hours (Rizvi, 1970). It was
felt all over Bangladesh. Energetic seismic seiches were generated in the Brahmaputra at Goalpara
(Martin and Szeliga, 2010). The ground shaking of this earthquake at Dhaka was MM IV to V.
1885-Bengal
This earthquake, known as the Bengal Earthquake, occurred on 14 July 1885, and is one of the most
seven earthquakes. The earthquake was followed by eleven aftershocks during the period 21 July to 5
September 1885 (Middlemiss, 1885). The quake hit at 6:25 am local time and was centered just 50 km
northwest of Dhaka near Manikganj. It is believed to have occurred on the Madhupur fault. The
earthquake had a magnitude 7 on the Richter scale.
Martin and Szeliga (2010) report at least 75 deaths. The earthquake was widely felt with reports from as
far as Chittagong, Chunar, Darjeeling, Giridh and Imphal (Englishman, 1885; Middlemiss, 1885). The
intensity of ground shaking assumed in Dhaka was MM VII to VIII.
Historic Earthquake In Bangladesh (continue …)
Martin and Szeliga (2010) mention, “At Attrabari, people were thrown to the ground and the earth was
moving in waves akin to “rollers on the sea coast” that made it difficult to stand, while in Shillong an
eyewitness stated, “I was unable to stand, but had to crawl on my hands and knees and hold on to a tree
for support”. well-built pukka structures were destroyed at Azimganj, Gauripur and Mymensingh. At
Muktagacha, all buildings were leveled to the ground and a similar fate was shared by the towns of
Attrabari, Durgapur, Gauripur, Kalipur and Ramgopalpur. At Muktagacha it was difficult to stand on
one’s feet during the earthquake and people had to “cling to the earth.” Elsewhere in Bengal, damage
occurred at Baharampur, Bhagalpur, Comillah, Dhaka, Dhubri, Gangtok, Guwahati, Goalpara, Imphal,
Murshidabad, Karimganj, Kolkata and Sylhet”.
Khan (1978) mentions, “Heavy damage was done to the pacca road and bridges on the Dacca
Mymensingh railway line. Traffic was suspended for about a fortnight. The river communication of the
district was also seriously affected”.
1930-Dubri
Known as the Dhubri Earthquake. Occurred on 3 July with a magnitude of 7.1 and the epicentre at
Dhubri, Assam. The earthquake caused major damage in the eastern parts of Rangpur district.
1935-Pabna
An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 on the Richter scale occurred on 21 March 1935 shook Dhaka
moderately. The epicenter was centered in Pabna, 130 km west-northwest of Dhaka. It was widely felt in
Bangladesh with MM intensity VI in Dhaka.
1997-Bangladesh-Myanmar Border
A moderate earthquake occurred on 12May 1977 at 18:20:00 BST with magnitude of 5.7 on the Richter
scale that jolted Dhaka with MM intensity III. The epicenter of the quake was located 340 km southeast
of Dhaka near Bangladesh-Myanmar border with focal attending a political rally rushed outdoors in
panic. Many buildings in Chittagong developed cracks and numerous people were injured, some after
jumping from buildings (Bangladesh Observer, May 13, 1977).
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 Historic Earthquake In Bangladesh (continue …)
1999-Maheshkhali
Occurred on 22 July at Maheshkhali Island with the epicentre in the same place, a magnitude of 5.2.
Severely felt around Maheshkhali island and the adjoining sea. Houses cracked and in some cases
collapsed.
2001-Dhaka
The earthquake occurred on 19 December 2001 at 1:54:07.96 pm local time. The epicenter was centred
11 km south of Curzon Hall across the Burigonga River at Kalakandi. The earthquake had magnitude
estimated 4.5 on the Richter scale and had hypocentral depth of about 10 km. The duration of shaking
was 21 seconds. The earthquake was felt at Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Chittagong, Comilla, Gazipur,
Laxmipur, Rajshahi and as far as Rangpur. Strong tremors were felt (MM V-VI) in Dhaka city, and many
people rushed out of their homes and offices in panic. At the Dhaka Central Jail 100 prisoners were
injured in a stampede. Many people from high rise buildings in the Motijheel commercial area and UNDP
employees in the 20-storey IDB building came out door and spent an hour on the road. A few buildings in
old Dhaka city were reported damaged.
2003-Borkal
Known as the Borkol earthquake, killed three people, injured 25 people and damaged about 500 buildings
in Chittagong and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The epicenter was at the eastern bank of Kaptai reservoir. It
had a magnitude measured Mw 5.7. Dhaka shook with MM intensity IV. Many people were awakened,
especially residents of upper floors of high rise buildings.
2004-Sumatra
Known as the Sumatra earthquake on 26 December 2004 off the west coast of north Sumatra. It had a
magnitude measured Mw 9.3 with focal depth of 30 km. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in
recorded history, having generated devastating tsunamis that struck along the coasts of most landmasses
bordering the Indian Ocean, killed about 2,30,000 people in fourteen countries including 2 people in
coastal Bangladesh. The tremor was felt all over Bangladesh. It raised the water levels of rivers, lakes and
ponds, and left a few buildings with cracks. Water bodies remained agitated for about two hours.
Historic Earthquake In Bangladesh (continue …)
2006-Norail
Known as the Narail earthquake, this tremor occurred on 5 August 2006 at 8:39:18.49 pm local time. The
earthquake had a magnitude estimated 4.2 on the Richter scale with epicentre located near Narail. It had a
focal depth of 10 km. The tremor was widely felt in Dhaka as well as other places in the country.
2008-Chandpur
A light earthquake with couple of aftershocks jolted Dhaka on the evening of 20 September 2008 at
5:51:41.28 pm local time just before Iftar. It caused tremendous panic among the city dwellers. The
epicenter was near Kachua of Chandpur. The magnitude was 4.5 on the Richter scale with a focal depth
of 10 km (NEIC, DUEO). The tremor was strongly felt in Dhaka with MM intensity V.
2009-Bay of Bengle
A major earthquake that occurred on early 11 August 2009 at 01:55:35.61 BST rocked Bangladesh. The
epicenter was located in Bay of Bengal between north Andaman Island and Myanmar coast. The
earthquake was originated from a 300 km long seismic gap of active subduction zone of Indian and
Burmese plates between the locations of the 2004 Sumatra and 1762 Chittagong earthquakes. It had a
magnitude Mw 7.5 with focal depth of 4 km (NEIC). The quake was strongly felt in most parts of
Bangladesh.
13 14

Siesmic Zone of Bangladesh Siesmic Zone of Bangladesh (continue … )

In the Bangladesh National Building Code

BNBC-93 the hazard map retains the major
features of the earlier maps and divides the
country into three zones.
 Zone 3 of highest hazard includes the north
and northeastern parts.
Zone-3 (0.25g)
 Zone 2 covers the central part of Bangladesh.
 Zone 1 covers the remaining south-western
part of the country.
Zone-2 (0.15g)

Zone-1 (0.075g)

Fig.7 Seismic zoning map in Bangladesh National

Fig.8 Proposed Seismic zoning map by M. Ansary ,2006 Fig.9 Proposed Seismic zoning map by DUEO.
Building Code-1993. 15 16
 Siesmic Zone of Bangladesh (continue … ) Siesmic Zone of Bangladesh (continue … )

Indian Siesmic zone around Bangladesh

 Indian siesmic zone based on MSK
(Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik)
intensity scale.
Zone-5 (0.36g)  Geographical statistics of India show
Zone-4 (0.24g) that almost 54% of the land is
vulnerable to earthquakes.
Zone factor:
Zone-3 (0.16g)  Zone-5 (MSK ≥ IX) – 0.36 g
 Zone-4 (MSK ≥ VIII) – 0.24 g
 Zone-3 (MSK ≥ VII) – 0.16 g
 Zone-2 (MSK ≥ IX) – 0.10 g

Fig.10 Natural hazard risks produced by UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Fig.11 Indian earthquake zone map (IS 1893: 2002) .
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Future Posssibilities Of Earthquake in Bangladesh Conclusion

The entire Himalayan-Hindukush region is
considered to be vulnerable to earthquakes of a Bangladesh is located along two of the planet’s active plate boundaries. It has a
magnitude exceeding 8.0 on the Richter Scale,
high probability of damaging by future earthquakes and the possibility of rarer but
and in a relatively short span of time, six such
earthquakes have occurred: Shillong, 1897(M extraordinarily large earthquakes that can cause damage far from their epicenters.
8.7); Kangra, 1905 (M.8.0); Bihar-Nepal, 1934
However, absence of strong earthquakes in the recent past have left the present
(M 8.3); Assam-Tibet, 1950 (M 8.6); Quetta,
1935 (M 7.8); and Kashmir earthquake, 2005 (M generation unaware of the possibility of a major earthquake. Lack of public
7.6). Scientific publications have revealed that
awareness along with absence of legal enforcement of building code has resulted in
very severe earthquakes are likely to occur
anytime in the Himalayan Region, which could majority of buildings in the urban areas of Bangladesh to be lacking in earthquake
adversely affect the lives of several millions
resistant design. This is further compounded by poor quality of buildings materials
people in region.
Fig.12 Slip potential as a major of seismic hazard and construction. In case of a major earthquake the densely populated cities of
along Himalaya
Bangladesh may face a massive disaster. One such potential high risk are Dhaka
In one such study Bilham et al. (2001) estimated slip potential along the Himalaya and interpreted it in
terms of seismic hazard in the region. In Figure 12, the red segments along the bars show the slip and Chittagong cities which are most populated area of Bangladesh. Seismic
potential on a scale of 1 to 10 meters, that is, the potential slip that has accumulated since the last hazard assessment studies have confirmed the possibility of intensity VIII shaking
recorded great earthquake, or since 1800. Bilham concluded the study with the following projection:
“Our findings show that great earthquakes - those with a magnitude of 8.2 or greater can re- in Dhaka city. Soft soils and high ground water table may amplify the earthquake
rupture Himalayan regions that already have ruptured in recent smaller earthquakes, or those motion and create conditions of liquefaction with very fatal consequences.
with a magnitude of 7.8 or below. The current conditions might trigger at least four earthquakes
greater than 8.0 magnitude, but if they delay, the strain accumulated during the centuries
provokes more catastrophic mega earthquakes”.
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Thanks to All

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