{"id":27888,"date":"2026-04-15T11:12:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T05:12:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/?p=27888"},"modified":"2026-07-13T11:18:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T05:18:00","slug":"discussion-on-earthquake-preparedness-and-community-resilience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/2026\/04\/15\/discussion-on-earthquake-preparedness-and-community-resilience\/","title":{"rendered":"Discussion on Earthquake Preparedness and Community Resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"At the roundtable discussion titled “Earthquake Preparedness Before and After: What We Need to Do Now,” organised by Abashon News, ASK Executive Director Tahmina Rahman<\/strong> highlighted the increasing frequency of earthquakes in Bangladesh and stressed the importance of strengthening disaster preparedness and risk reduction measures. The discussion also addressed the long-term psychological and social impacts of earthquakes on affected communities. Tahmina Rahman said: The frequency of earthquakes in Bangladesh in recent times is something we must start thinking about seriously.<\/p>\n

Many of us still remember the devastating earthquake in Nepal. As a woman, I have experienced many challenges throughout my life, but the days I spent during that catastrophic earthquake remain the most terrifying and, at the same time, the most enlightening period of my life. Even today, when I close my eyes, those moments come back vividly, as if everything is happening all over again.<\/p>\n

The most devastating earthquake in Nepal struck on 25 April 2015. Measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, it claimed nearly 9,000 lives and injured more than 22,000 people. That morning had begun like any other. The mountain landscape of Nepal, the cool air and the everyday activities of people created a sense of peace and normalcy. No one knew that within seconds nature would reveal its most destructive force.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, I felt the ground shaking. At first, I thought I was feeling dizzy, but within moments the buildings began to sway violently. Panic spread everywhere. People rushed out onto the streets screaming; some were running, while others sat on the ground praying.<\/p>\n

I felt completely helpless. I did not know where to take shelter or how to protect myself. Within moments, the surroundings were engulfed in dust and darkness. The sound of collapsing bricks and concrete, the cries of people and the wail of sirens created a horrifying scene. It felt as though the world had come to a standstill.<\/p>\n

When the shaking stopped, the devastation was beyond words. The beautiful city had been reduced to rubble. Many buildings had collapsed entirely. Injured people lay on the streets, frightened children cried and families were overwhelmed with grief. The city seemed completely cut off from communication and essential services. Electricity, gas, water, internet and transportation were all disrupted, creating a severe crisis. There were no proper sanitation facilities. Only God knows how we managed to endure those difficult days. I could not establish contact with my family in Dhaka, nor could they reach me. I became desperate to return home, but no flights were available.<\/p>\n

As night fell, the fear intensified. No one dared return indoors because of the threat of aftershocks. Thousands of people, including myself, spent the night under the open sky. The cold air, uncertainty and fear of death surrounded us. Every sound made us think another earthquake was beginning. It was the longest night of my life.<\/p>\n

Yet amidst the destruction, I witnessed an extraordinary display of humanity. Strangers helped one another, shared their food and risked their own safety to rescue those in need. Some brought water, others comforted children and many volunteered in rescue efforts. Those moments strengthened my belief that human compassion remains one of the greatest forces in the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the roundtable discussion titled “Earthquake Preparedness Before and After: What We Need to Do Now,” organised by Abashon News, ASK Executive Director Tahmina Rahman highlighted the increasing frequency of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27889,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[228],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-awareness-raising"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27888"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27888\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27893,"href":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27888\/revisions\/27893"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.askbd.org\/ask\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}