November 24, 2025
DHAKA – Several hundred injured; over a dozen buildings damaged; many areas faced temporary outages
At least 10 people, including two children, were killed and several hundred injured after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake shook Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh yesterday morning, cracking buildings, sending debris crashing down, and driving residents into the streets in fear.
The quake struck at 10:38am, with its epicentre in Madhabdi of Narsingdi, about 13 kilometres east of the seismic station in Dhaka’s Agargaon, said the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Families were jolted at home on their weekly holiday.
Prof Syed Humayun Akhter, former chair of Dhaka University’s Geology department, estimated the epicentre at a shallow depth of about 10km. “Bangladesh has not felt a tremor of such magnitude in recent times. Buildings were shaking like trees,” he told The Daily Star.
Bangladesh has experienced several earthquakes, especially in the Sylhet region, in recent years, but none of them caused so many casualties or damage.
On this day, November 21, in 1997, which was also a Friday, several deaths were reported after a building collapsed in Chattogram due to a quake epicentred in India’s Mizoram.
Reports have emerged of minor cracks appearing in buildings across the capital. Residents described the tremor as unlike anything they had experienced before, with many taking to social media to share photos and videos of cracked walls, damaged floors, and furniture scattered across their homes.
Four of the quake-linked deaths occurred in Dhaka, five in Narsingdi, and one in Narayanganj. Several hundred others were injured across the country as people ran down staircases or jumped from buildings in panic.
In Old Dhaka’s Kasaituli area, a brick-built rooftop railing collapsed, killing Sir Salimullah Medical College student Rafiul Islam, 22; fabric trader Abdur Rahim, 48; and Rahim’s 12-year-old son, Abul Aziz Remon. At least 10 others were injured in the incident, many of whom had gathered to buy beef at a butcher’s stall.
Brig Gen Md Mazharul Islam Khan, director of Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital, said the three were brought dead. Twenty others were treated there and 13 of them were admitted.
In Mugda, Md Maksud, a 50-year-old security guard, died when part of a wall collapsed at an under-construction building in Madina Bagh. Police said he was trying to flee when debris from an upper floor struck him on the head. He died at Mugda Medical College Hospital around noon.
In Narsingdi, five people were killed and about 100 injured in Sadar, Palash, and Shibpur upazilas, said Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Anwar Hossain.
Four were injured when construction materials fell from an under-construction building in Gabtoli of Chinishpur union in Sadar upazila.
Two of the seriously injured were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where an eight-year-old child, Hafiz Omar, was declared dead. His father Delwar Hossain Uzzal, who was also admitted to DMCH in a critical condition, also died. The deceased were from Kishoreganj.
Kazem Ali Bhuiya, 75, from Malita West Para in Charsindur union of Palash upazila died on the way to the district hospital after his mud house collapsed on him.
Another man, Nasiruddin, 60, of the same upazila, died after jumping off the side of a road in panic while fleeing his farmland during the quake, the DC said, quoting local residents. His family did not take the body to the hospital.
In Shibpur, Md Forkan, 40, a resident of Gajkitla village, fell from a tree during the tremor. He was first taken to Narsingdi District Hospital and then referred to DMCH, but died on the way to Dhaka.
In Rupganj of Narayanganj, a 10-month-old girl, Fatema, died when a boundary wall collapsed on her. Her mother, Kulsum Begum, 30, and neighbour Jasmin Akter, 35, were critically injured and are undergoing treatment. “Fatema was in her mother’s arms when the wall came down,” said neighbour Imtiaz Bhuiyan.
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus expressed shock and sorrow at the deaths and injuries, saying in a condolence message that the government was monitoring the situation and assessing damage. Authorities earlier urged citizens not to heed rumours and to remain cautious.
Hospitals in Dhaka saw a surge of patients after the tremor. Some inpatients rushed out during the quake, still wearing cannulas.
Dr Alimul Haque of DMCH’s casualty department said most of the injured victims were elderly people who lost balance and children who were injured while running in panic. By night, DMCH had treated dozens of quake-injured patients. Fifty-nine were still receiving treatment at night while the rest received primary care.
Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum, after visiting DMCH, said all government hospitals had been instructed to provide proper care.
At least 90 injured people sought treatment at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor). It admitted 18 patients, and several will require surgery, said its Director Prof Md Abul Kenan. Some suffered shoulder dislocations from the force of the tremor, he added.
In Gazipur, more than 152 people, mostly workers, were rushed to different hospitals. Of them, 116 were admitted for treatment, the district administration said.
Multiple power plants, including Bibiyana-2 (341MW), Ashuganj 55MW and 50MW units, and one 600MW SS Power unit, tripped during the quake, causing outages in many areas, officials of the Power Development Board said. The situation became normal hours later.
‘DHAKA HAS NEVER SHAKEN LIKE THIS’
Across Dhaka, panic rippled through homes and neighbourhoods.
Saiful Alam Shameem, 60, paralysed on one side and bedridden for two years in Pallabi, said, “It was terrifying. I had no option but to stay where I was. I have never felt such a powerful jolt.”
Eleven-year-old Jaiyan Hasan of Adabor was asleep and initially thought she was dreaming when her bed shook violently. “I thought the building was about to collapse. The glass window beside me was rattling loudly.”
Ashna Fabiyana of Indira Road, who was alone at home, ran downstairs as soon as the shaking stopped. “Suddenly, the floor started swaying and the whole building began to shake,” she said.
Residents across the capital shared similar accounts, while social media filled with videos of rattling windows and shaking furniture. “Dhaka has never shaken like this before,” a user wrote.
In Dhanmondi, Shabnur Sultana huddled her children under a beam as they screamed. In Kosaituli, Masuma Akter said the weekly holiday may have saved dozens of lives. “If it had been any other day, more than 100 people could have died,” she said.
Mehedi Hasan of Narayanganj said tenants panicked when they found their collapsible gate locked on the fifth floor of a seven-storey building. “When it finally opened, everyone rushed out.”
Residents of Narsingdi, the epicentre district, described the same terror. “Loud noises shook the house… even two hours later, I’m still traumatised,” said 34-year-old Kawsar Mahmud. Sohrab Hossain, a college lecturer on the sixth floor of a building, said, “When the building began to sway, I kept calling on Allah. I thought this might be the end.”
CRACKS IN BUILDINGS
Three Dhaka University students were injured after jumping from dormitory buildings in panic. Several halls, including AF Rahman Hall, Mohsin Hall, Kabi Jasimuddin Hall, Mokarram Bhaban, Sheikh Fazlul Haque Hall, and Shamsunnahar Hall, reported cracks and falling plaster.
According to CA’s Press Wing, at least 14 buildings and structures were damaged in Dhaka’s Maligbagh, Armanitola, Swamibagh, Banani, Kalabagan, Bashundhara, Narda, Dakhkhin Banasree, Mohammadpur, Khilgaon, Badda, Sipahipara of Khilgaon, Madhubagh of Magbazar, and one building of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
This newspaper also received reports of cracks in buildings in Baridhara, Kallyanpur, Mirpur-1, Bhuiyapara, Sipahibagh, Dakshin Khan, West Rampura, Niketan, and Arambagh, while two buildings in Shanir Akhra and Mugda’s Madina Bagh suffered visible structural damage.
Experts have repeatedly warned that Bangladesh is ill-prepared for high-magnitude earthquakes, which could result in widespread devastation. The capital, home to approximately 21 lakh buildings, is particularly vulnerable, with many structures located in densely populated areas. In many cases, building codes have been ignored, further increasing the risk of significant damage.
Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said while newer structures were built following building codes, many older buildings remain unsafe.
“RAJUK says 90 percent of buildings do not follow the code. What will happen to the residents if earthquakes like this keep occurring? This is worrying,” she told reporters after stepping out of a Mirpur building during the tremor.
“In the last five years, there have been several earthquakes, but I never felt any as strong as today’s. We are being warned again and again,” she added, stressing that long-overdue planning and preparedness must now begin without delay.