Nowhere to run: Dhaka’s narrow streets expose earthquake evacuation risks

Yesterday's earthquake sent residents rushing out of their homes across Old Dhaka, Badda, Khilgaon, Moghbazar, Mohammadpur, Mirpur and other neighbourhoods, but many found themselves with nowhere safe to go.

As buildings shook and panic spread, the city's dense layout and shrinking open spaces again raised questions about how people are expected to evacuate during a major tremor.

Outside Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital, two men grieve the deaths of family members who were among three pedestrians killed by falling debris in Armanitola Koshaituli following Friday's earthquake. Photo: TBS

Except for a few major roads, many areas in Dhaka are lined with narrow lanes, often 10 to 12 feet wide or less, bordered by high-rise structures on both sides.

If a building collapses, it risks falling directly onto these streets, leaving people with minimal space for safe evacuation.

At least 50 buildings in Dhaka tilted or developed major cracks following the quake, according to Rajuk.

Yet the level of structural damage remains only one part of the danger. 

For most residents, the simple act of stepping outside offers limited protection.

Urban planners have long noted that designated open spaces are a crucial part of disaster preparedness.

People rush to the streets as a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck the nation on 21 November 2025. Photo: Rajib Dhar/TBS

In earthquake-prone cities around the world, open fields, large parks and wide roads serve as immediate assembly points, offering distance from collapsing structures and providing access for rescue teams.

In Dhaka, however, the availability of such spaces has steadily diminished.

Over years of rapid development, many neighbourhoods have expanded without maintaining reserves of accessible open areas.

This absence sharply limits residents' options during emergencies, particularly in crowded zones like Old Dhaka and parts of Badda and Khilgaon, where the population density is already high.

International examples highlight how critical open spaces can be.

After the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China, parks became essential recovery centres, providing temporary shelter and basic services.

In Nepal, following the 2015 earthquake, survivors gathered in temple squares and fields; in response, authorities later identified and planned 83 safe open spaces across the Kathmandu Valley for future emergencies.

Japanese planning guidelines also recommend that designated seismic shelters be located within walking distance of residential areas.

Photo: Mehedi Hasan/TBS

Cities such as Nagoya have built systems where parks and public squares act as immediate evacuation points after an earthquake or tsunami warning.

Chile's experience following the 2010 earthquake similarly underscored the need for well-located open spaces equipped with basic infrastructure, as these become temporary camps and coordination hubs during response operations.

In contrast, cities with limited or inaccessible open spaces, such as Port-au-Prince in 2010, have seen high casualties linked to blocked roads, poorly built structures and insufficient evacuation rooms.

Certain dense neighbourhoods in Istanbul and Manila mirror many of the vulnerabilities seen in Dhaka today.

Urban resilience plans increasingly call for risk-based land use planning, which includes protecting and creating open spaces to act as safe assembly points.

However, implementation across all areas remains inconsistent. Without accessible evacuation zones, rescue operations are hindered, aid distribution becomes slower, and residents face greater danger in the immediate aftermath of a quake.

Yesterday's panic on Dhaka's narrow streets offered a clear reminder: in a city of more than two crore people, earthquake preparedness cannot rely solely on structural inspections.

It also depends on whether residents have a safe place to run when the ground starts to shake.