Satkhira experienced a sudden earthquake yesterday at 1:52 pm. The quake registered a magnitude of 5.4 on the Richter scale, with its epicenter located near Assasuni upazila, approximately 18 kilometers southeast of Satkhira town, as reported by Zulfikar Ali, the acting officer at Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Satkhira.
Local residents, including individuals offering Juma prayers at mosques, felt the tremor for a few seconds. Many families, feeling scared and panicked, hurried down staircases. Residents, visibly affected by the quake, described it as the most powerful they could recall.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saiduzzaman Imu stated that while the earthquake caused strong tremors and widespread panic, no damages have been reported so far. Alauddin Hossain, who was at a mosque in Assasuni, expressed, “I felt the jolt right in my chest.”
Rabiul Alam and Tuhin Gazi shared that they were praying in Kulla Baitul Aman Jame Mosque when the ground began to shake vigorously. Abdul Ali, the owner of a two-storey building, mentioned, “People in our building started running for their lives. Fortunately, there were no casualties.”
Purbopod Mallik, another homeowner in Harinagar village, recounted a similar experience. In Satkhira town, Jahangir Hossain recounted, “As soon as I felt the tremor, I just picked up my child and rushed out to the street. My heart is still pounding.” In the mini market area, shopkeeper Shariful Islam mentioned that he immediately ran out of his shop upon feeling a sudden jolt.
Addressing the presence of a fault line in Satkhira, Prof Syed Humayun Akhter, former chairman of the Department of Geology at Dhaka University, explained that a fault line alone is not always accountable for a tremor, as it can occur due to various reasons. He recalled, “Another tremor occurred in Satkhira around 10-12 years ago.”