The real extent of the damage caused by Friday's tremor in Rangamati is yet to be known, nor are the experts in a position to determine whether it boded any serious earthquake in the near future as they were not equipped with micro-seismic devices. It is on the whole believed that the country needed to brace for a major earthquake, thanks to the tectonic plate it is sitting on, which is said to be in a state of volatility.

The question of earthquake preparedness arises for obvious reasons at this point in time. A number of steps might be needed to minimise the losses caused by a major earthquake. It is disturbing to know that more than 90 per cent high-rise buildings in the city might not be able to absorb the shock of a quake of medium intensity. The buildings above the 10-storey level are particularly suspect as those were not built keeping in view the danger of an earthquake. Even the smaller buildings built on the brick masonry methodology are far from safe. Regrettably, the builders are still not paying any attention to what experts are saying about the looming danger of an earthquake. The buildings at risk fall in two broad categories -- the apartment buildings in the residential areas and the towers and high-rise structures in the business district. So, the casualties in the event of an earthquake could be unusually high in our context unless we can enhance our preparedness to the desired level.

We suggest the government form a technically competent high-powered committee to assess the quality of buildings focusing on how resistant these are to earthquakes of moderate to high intensity in terms of design, construction materials and engineering viability. Do the buildings have any built-in safety precautions against fire hazards and escape routes for the residents in case of emergency? The government owes it to the citizens to let them know what kind of high-rise buildings they are living and working in, especially in Dhaka and Chittagong metropolises.