Three pedestrians lost their lives in Bangshal’s Kasaituli after a rooftop railing collapsed during the recent earthquake – turning an already unsettling tremor into a terrifying tragedy. The incident has reignited a burning question many residents have silently asked for years: In Old Dhaka, where do you go during an earthquake – outside or nowhere?
A city built without space to escape
The traditional earthquake safety protocol says: move to an open space.
But in Old Dhaka, where buildings press so close that sunlight struggles to reach the street, such guidance feels painfully unrealistic.
The lanes are narrow. Rickshaws scrape past pedestrians. Many roads cannot fit an ambulance, let alone allow thousands to evacuate safely in panic.
In such a setting — where even taking a full step requires negotiating with the crowd — the collapse in Kasaituli has forced residents to confront a frightening reality: Outside, falling debris can kill. And inside, collapsing structures or gas explosions can trap or burn.
Neither feels safe.
“Where do we go — inside or outside?”
That confusion was echoed by Afia Islam, a chemistry student at Jagannath University.
“Even without an earthquake, bricks, tubs, iron rods and sharp objects are kept on many roofs. A little wind makes you afraid. After seeing people die like this, how can we say the roads are safe?”
Her voice reflects not just fear – but frustration.
Old Dhaka resident Hafizul Islam expressed similar helplessness: “There is no open ground close by. Before reaching a safe place, something may already happen. If buildings are unsafe, no one is safe — inside or outside.”
Why Old Dhaka faces heightened danger
Urban safety experts say the tragedy is not accidental – it is structural.
More than 60 per cent of buildings in Old Dhaka are unplanned, poorly reinforced, or renovated without engineering approval, according to local human rights activist Shahid Hossain.
“We have no alternative except redevelopment. Even strict laws are necessary if lives are at risk.”
The mix of aging infrastructure, rooftop clutter, gas pipelines, and tight alleyways creates a deadly domino effect during tremors:
falling objects → blocked escape routes → fire, gas leaks, building collapse.
What must be done, now
Urban planning expert Professor Adil Muhammad Khan of Jahangirnagar University says earthquake safety is a shared responsibility. “Building owners, users, RAJUK, City Corporations – everyone must ensure that buildings do not endanger others.”
He outlines key steps: Immediate risk reduction, remove heavy and loose objects from rooftops and parapets, inspect gas lines and electrical wiring, strengthen vulnerable boundary walls and balconies,
medium-term planning, mandatory structural audits of old and multi-storey buildings, renovation or demolition of irreparably unsafe structures, and evacuation drills and safety mapping.
Long-term strategy
Create local open spaces: pocket parks, school grounds, community fields.
Identify “safe evacuation routes” marked clearly in every neighbourhood.
Form community-level committees to support emergency response.
A wake-up call for Dhaka
The earthquake was brief – but its consequences were deep.
It exposed the fragility of urban planning, emergency preparedness, and public safety in one of the most densely built parts of South Asia.
For residents of Old Dhaka, the question remains unsettlingly unresolved: During the next earthquake – where do you run?
Today’s tragedy may become tomorrow’s preventable disaster – only if action begins now.