Opinion: From Luton to Dhaka: a personal plea for earthquake safety in Bangladesh
I was born in Bangladesh, but I have lived in Luton for many years. My life is here now, yet a part of me always remains in Dhaka where my siblings still live. When the earthquakes struck Bangladesh this week, I felt the fear from thousands of miles away. It was not only fear for my own family. It was fear for everyone in Dhaka who felt the ground shake beneath their feet.
Like many people in Luton who have roots in Bangladesh, I watched the news and the videos with a heavy heart. Yesterday, Friday 21 November, the quake hit around 10 in the morning. Today there were two more tremors. The first one happened around six in the morning, and the second one came later. Buildings swayed. Walls cracked. Some houses leaned against others. People ran into the streets, confused and afraid. Many had never felt such a direct tremor because most past earthquakes were distant, with only mild shaking reaching Bangladesh. This time the earth moved from almost directly beneath the country. That is what makes it so frightening.
Dhaka is one of the most crowded cities in the world. Millions of people live in old buildings that were never designed for earthquakes. Many high-rise buildings have gone up quickly without proper safety checks. Experts have warned for years that a strong quake could cause enormous damage. Some have said that if a quake reaches a magnitude of seven, most of Dhaka could collapse. When I think about ordinary people in Old Dhaka, living in buildings that are already leaning or cracked, my heart sinks.
I care about my siblings, of course, but my words today are for everyone in Dhaka. This is not a personal story. It is a human story. The rickshaw puller who sleeps under a tin roof. The garment worker who lives in a crowded block of flats. The shopkeeper who opens his shutters every morning without knowing if the building above him is safe. Each one deserves protection and dignity.
Bangladesh has always struggled with political division. Governments have changed, and caretaker administrations have come and gone, yet the daily needs of ordinary people often remain ignored. For too long, leaders have focused on political fights instead of public safety. Earthquakes do not wait for elections. Natural disasters do not pause while politicians argue.
Right now Bangladesh needs action, not excuses. The caretaker government has a chance to show real leadership. Buildings must be inspected. Unsafe ones must be repaired or cleared. Emergency plans must be created. Rescue teams must be trained. Schools, hospitals and public buildings must be reinforced. These steps are not luxuries. They are matters of life and death.
This is also a moment for international organisations to support Bangladesh. The Red Crescent, the United Nations and foreign aid groups have experience and technology that could save lives. Bangladesh does not have to face this danger alone. Help is available, but Bangladeshi leaders must ask for it with honesty and urgency.
As I write this in Luton, I feel the distance between here and Dhaka. I cannot hold my siblings or comfort my relatives. I cannot strengthen any building with my own hands. What I can do is use my voice. I can speak as part of the Bangladeshi community that lives here in the United Kingdom. Many of us left the country long ago, but our hearts remain connected to the people who still live there.
I hope that by raising awareness here, others will pay attention. I hope that the leaders in Bangladesh will hear the voices of their own people and the concern coming from abroad. Most of all, I hope that no more lives are lost. Bangladesh is a beautiful country full of brave and hardworking people. They deserve a future where a day of shaking earth does not mean a city full of broken homes and broken hearts.
From Luton to Dhaka, my message is simple. Please act now. Protect the people before the next quake comes. It may arrive sooner than we expect.