Israt Jahan, MBSTU:
A moderate earthquake shaken Dhaka and other parts of the country between 10:38 AM and 10:39 AM on Friday. Early reports say that the earthquake was 5.7 on the Richter scale. Reports say that the epicenter was 7 km from Ghorashal, whereas the US Geological Survey (USGS) said it started 14 km west-southwest of the Narsingdi district headquarters, at a depth of 10 km.Even though it was around the same size as past tremors, today’s earthquake seemed much stronger.
After the earthquake, there were apparent fissures in the walls of two dorms at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University (MBSTU): Sheikh Russel Hall and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall (Amena Khatun Building). The abrupt damage to the building’s structure made many students very concerned and anxious.
Being quite worried, Israt Jahan, a residential student of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall said, When newly built buildings get such bad cracks right after an earthquake, there is no way to deny how corrupt the construction of these buildings is. There are now thousands of students living in the new halls who are at danger.
She also added , the administration, contractor, and everyone else who worked on the building must be held responsible right away. There is an urgent need for a structural evaluation of the buildings. We need a clear answer: are these halls safe to live in? Why are buildings that are only three years old already having such serious problems? We will pay the price in the future if we don’t do a proper investigation and take the right steps.
Moreover, another student Riyad, who lives in Sheikh Russel Hall, has the same worries regarding the issues. He stated We moved into Sheikh Russel Hall in the beginning of 2023. We could see small cracks in the walls on the sixth story even then. But after the earthquake today, those fissures got a lot worse, and new ones emerged in the beams as well.
This problem in a recently built hall is really worrying. To avert a big accident, action needs to be taken right away. We encourage the authorities to check the hall’s structural safety again and fix any problems right away.
The tragedy has made many very worried about the quality of the construction, safety compliance, and oversight. Students still want a clear inquiry and quick action from the administration to make sure that all of the dorms on campus are safe.
