In the first seven days of January, two earthquakes were felt in Bangladesh. Among them, the one that occurred on Tuesday morning was of significant intensity, while the one on January 3 was moderate in scale. Notably, the epicenters of both earthquakes were outside Bangladesh. Today’s earthquake originated in China’s Zhejiang region, approximately 618 kilometers from Dhaka, while the January 3 earthquake originated in Homalin, Myanmar, about 482 kilometers from Dhaka. 

Although these earthquakes did not directly impact Bangladesh, tremors were felt in some areas. According to Rubayet Kabir, acting head of the Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center at the Meteorological Department, “Since the epicenters were far from Bangladesh, there was no significant damage here. However, today’s earthquake was strong enough to be felt from such a distance.” The magnitude of today’s earthquake was 7.1 on the Richter scale, and it was felt in China, India, Nepal, and parts of Bangladesh. The January 3 earthquake, in comparison, had a magnitude of 5.

Experts highlight that the epicenters in Zhejiang, China, and Homalin, Myanmar, are in seismically active zones. These regions often experience earthquakes due to tectonic plate movements. The northern Himalayan region, where today’s earthquake originated, is known for large faults that make it prone to such events.

Rubayet Kabir further explained that the Earth's crust is composed of tectonic plates. These plates are rigid and interact with one another. When they collide or shift, energy is released, which travels as seismic waves. If the energy is strong enough, it reaches the surface and causes the ground to shake—this is what we experience as an earthquake.