Post-Earthquake Reconnaissance of the 21 November 2025 Narsingdi Earthquake and Instrumentation for Aftershock Monitoring
Published in News
Following the Mw 5.4 earthquake of 21 November 2025 in Narsingdi, a post-earthquake reconnaissance mission was conducted on 26 November 2025 by a team from BUET led by Prof. Dr. Syed Fakhrul Ameen, Prof. Dr. Tahmeed Malik Al‑Hussaini, and Prof. Dr. Md. Zunaid Baten. The mission aimed to assess the extent of structural damage, identify prevalent failure mechanisms, and understand on‑ground impacts in and around the epicentral region.
The reconnaissance covered the following structures:
- DC Office and other government buildings
- Narsingdi Government Hospital
- Residential buildings
- Schools and educational institutions
- Mosques and community structures
- Ghorashal–Palash Urea Fertilizer Factory
- Ghorashal Power Station and adjacent facilities
Field observations revealed widespread cracking in partition walls and expansion joints. More severe damage was observed in several masonry buildings, particularly where columns showed significant distress, highlighting the vulnerability of non‑engineered and partially reinforced construction practices.
In addition, a BUET Low‑Cost Accelerometer (BLCA) was installed at the PWD office in Narsingdi to capture aftershocks and strengthen the local ground motion database.
The findings emphasize the urgent need for earthquake‑resilient design, improved construction practices, and stricter enforcement of building codes particularly for critical infrastructure in rapidly urbanizing areas of Bangladesh.