Panic gripped Satkhira district as a 5.4 magnitude earthquake erupted at 1:52 PM Friday, the third to hit Bangladesh in 40 hours. With its core in Asasuni, 18 km from Satkhira city, the quake interrupted Friday prayers, sparking mass exits from mosques.
Eyewitnesses recounted harrowing details: Alauddin Hussain’s chest absorbed the first jolt in Asasuni mosque; Rabibul Alam and others at Kulla Beit ul Aman felt the floor buck; Masud Rana and Sadik Anwar at Bodta Central sensed total disorientation.
Contextualizing the cluster: EMSC logged Wednesday’s 5.1 magnitude at 10:53 PM in Dhaka-Sylhet; local centers tracked Thursday’s 4.6 at 12:04 PM nationwide. UNB and The Daily Star noted escalating resident terror, labeling it unprecedented in strength.
Satkhira’s Julfikar Ali pinpointed Asasuni as ground zero; Executive Officer Saeeduzzaman Emu affirmed heavy shaking sans casualties. Prof. Syed Humayun Akhtar of Dhaka University explained multifaceted quake triggers, recalling a prior event nearby a decade ago.
No devastation reported, yet the barrage underscores seismic perils. Bangladesh must prioritize resilience amid such volatility, with officials monitoring closely and communities on high alert.