Helemul Alam

Despite being an earthquake-prone country, Bangladesh remains poorly prepared for a major seismic event, experts warn.

The government has unveiled a Tk 32,554 crore plan to strengthen Dhaka’s water security by developing five large reservoirs around the capital to reduce dependence on rapidly depleting groundwater.

Year after year the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has been battling to keep the airspace surrounding Dhaka’s airports clean of buildings that exceed the height limit.

A large number of buildings across Bangladesh -- particularly older ones -- were not designed to withstand earthquakes, as they were constructed without fully complying with the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), experts warned.

Dhaka’s persistent waterlogging is driven by fragmented management, the lack of an integrated master plan, unchecked urbanisation, and the steady disappearance of wetlands and canals, according to experts.

Hours of heavy rain yesterday left large parts of Dhaka submerged in ankle- to waist-deep water, crippling traffic, and stranding commuters on streets and people in their homes.

Many hospitals, fire stations and other critical facilities remain vulnerable, threatening emergency response after a major quake

Intermittent rains over the last few days once again left parts of Dhaka submerged, exposing the chronic weaknesses of the city’s drainage system.

For the past two months, residents of East Kazipara and Shewrapara in Mirpur have been struggling with recurring water shortages, forcing many families to buy drinking water, depend on water tankers, and wait for hours to cook, bathe, and wash.

IMED report cites lack of feasibility study, land acquisition delays for incomplete implementation

When a recent earthquake shook Dhaka, Mohammad Mustakim, a resident of Chawkbazar, rushed out of his second-floor apartment and joined his neighbours on the street after the tremor stopped.

A major earthquake could not only cause widespread building collapse in Dhaka but also trigger catastrophic fires through ruptured gas lines, electrical short circuits and other secondary hazards, experts warned.

Three years after the construction of the Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant, nearly half of its treatment capacity remains unused during the dry season because Dhaka Wasa has yet to build the sewerage network needed to deliver wastewater to the facility, according to an Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) report.

Even years after two deadly fires claimed around 200 lives in Old Dhaka, hazardous chemical warehouses and factories continue to operate in residential neighbourhoods, as initiatives to relocate them to industrial estates have faltered due to delays in project implementation.

Residents across large parts of Dhaka face serious risks during a major earthquake, as much of the city stands on hazardous, liquefaction-prone soil, experts have warned.

The first round ended as a story of Argentine success across the world, with one painful exception for Bielsa.

Dengue infections are surging outside Dhaka this year, raising alarm among health experts who warn that inadequate mosquito-control measures in many districts could trigger a wider outbreak in the coming weeks.

The risk of dengue could rise sharply after the Eid-ul-Azha holidays, as rainfall during the period may have created numerous mosquito breeding grounds, experts warned.

Dhaka drivers are gradually changing their long-ingrained traffic habits as AI-based enforcement and semi-automated traffic signals reshape behaviour at major intersections across the city.

Although the monsoon season is approaching, the health authorities have yet to take any initiative to conduct the pre-monsoon entomological survey that experts say is crucial for identifying mosquito breeding hotspots and preventing a major dengue outbreak.