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Published : 21 Nov 2025, 11:06 AM
At least six people, including two children, have died as a strong earthquake jolted Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh, prompting residents to flee buildings in panic.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department said the tremor, which struck at 10:38am on Friday, had a magnitude of 5.7 and was centred about 13km from Dhaka at a depth of 10km.
The US Geological Survey put the magnitude slightly lower, at 5.5, and located the epicentre about 14km west-southwest of Narsingdi.
Earthquake specialist and retired Dhaka University geologist Prof Humayun Akhtar said the intensity of shaking felt during Friday’s tremor was “the strongest in recent memory”.
Six deaths were reported from incidents linked to the quake were later reported, including three in Old Dhaka, one in Narayanganj, and two in Narsingdi.
More than 70 people were reportedly injured across the country as people rushed downstairs, or in some cases jumped from buildings in panic.
In Dhaka’s Bangshal area, three pedestrians were killed when the railing of a building collapsed during the shaking. In Narayanganj’s Rupganj Upazila, a 10-month-old child died after part of a wall gave way. A 65-year-old woman was also killed in Narsingdi's Palash as the mud wall of a building caved in.
Meanwhile, A 10-year-old child named Omar died after the eave of a building in the Gabtoli area of Narsingdi Sadar Upazila collapsed onto him.
Fire Service officials later said the railing that fell in Old Dhaka had not been properly anchored to pillars, causing it to break loose under the impact of the tremor.
The shaking sent people rushing into the streets and caused household items to fall from shelves. Reports later emerged of cracks appearing in buildings in the capital's Badda, Dhanmondi and other neighbourhoods, with plaster breaking away in some places.
Cracks were also reported in the New Market Police Station building, including on its third, fourth and fifth floors, police said.
Fire Service teams were dispatched to Armanitola after initial reports that a six-storey building had collapsed, though details are still being verified.
“Our teams have responded to reports from various locations. So far, no reports of major casualties or significant damage have been received,” said Brig Gen Muhammad Zahed Kamal, the Fire Service’s director general.
The Fire Service later issued a list of incidents it had responded to by midday, including reports of leaning buildings, falling plaster, and one small fire in Baridhara, although the cause of that fire has not been confirmed.
At Dhaka University, students reported damage inside dormitories. “After the quake started, room 105 was completely destroyed. When we arrived, we saw everything had fallen onto the floor,” said Abdullah Al Mamun, a resident of Sir AF Rahman Hall.
Meanwhile, three students of Dhaka University suffered injuries after they leapt from the three-storey Hajji Muhammad Mohsin Hall and the four-storey Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall in panic.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital said it treated at least 40 injured people. Of them, six were Dhaka University students who were hurt while rushing down staircases or falling from buildings during the panic.
RESIDENTS RUSH OUT OF BUILDINGS
The tremor caused buildings to sway violently in Dhaka’s North Badda, sending residents into the streets.
As of 11:30am, the area’s residents were still on the streets. Some families, particularly those with elderly members unable to be moved quickly, had rushed onto rooftops and could be seen from the road.
Witnesses reported a burning smell in the air, although no fire was visible.
Local residents said the shaking had shattered crockery and damaged furniture inside many homes.
Residents gathered in small groups outside buildings, trying to assess with the naked eye whether the earthquake had caused any visible structural damage.
“We need to have the building checked, but there are no engineers,” said Ziaur Rahman, a resident of North Badda.
“Going back inside could be walking into a death trap, with virtually no emergency responders around,” added Zia, whose building’s walls were cracked in several places.
Cracks were visible in several buildings, including on the ground and first floors of Mustafa’s Dream, an eight-storey residential building in the neighbourhood.
Many people said they were too frightened to return indoors after seeing the cracks. Residents also reported difficulty reaching emergency services or private engineers, leaving the full extent of the structural impact unclear.
In Jatrabari’s Kajla area, residents rushed out of their homes into the streets and narrow lanes as the tremor struck Dhaka.
Shouts could be heard from inside buildings while the shaking continued, and many children were left in tears.
Samina Yasmin told bdnews24.com she had grabbed both her baby and her pet before fleeing. “It was shaking so hard that I thought this was the end. The building would collapse for sure. So I took my child and my cat and ran downstairs from the third floor,” she said.
Awlad Hossain, who lives on the sixth floor of another building, said he sought shelter under a doorway when the quake began. “I leaned on the wall and thought I would go down when the quake slowed. It was shaking in a way that made me think it would break apart right then, so I didn’t go down,” he said, adding that he had “never seen such an earthquake” in his life.
He described the tremor as both strong and prolonged.
CHIEF ADVISOR URGES CALM
In a statement issued on Friday afternoon, the Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus said the government was “closely monitoring the situation” and had instructed all relevant departments to assess damage on the ground.
"The government is taking all necessary measures, giving utmost priority to public safety,” the statement adding, urging the public not to heed rumours and to wait for official guidance through hotlines and government channels.
