Two people, including a van driver, were killed after a passenger bus struck a van in Chuadanga Sadar’s Alokdia Bazar on Sunday afternoon. Two others were injured, with both critically wounded victims transferred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

The deceased were identified as Parveen Akhter, 45, of Monirampur village in Alokdia Union, and van driver Ramzan Ali, 26, who later died on the way to the hospital. The injured—Israt from Rajapur and Shabdul from Jhenaidah’s Kotchandpur—remain under treatment.

According to police, the bus was travelling from Chuadanga to Meherpur when it rammed into the van from behind at Alokdia Bazar. One of the van passengers died on the spot. Rescue teams transported the injured to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital, from where two were referred to Rajshahi due to their critical condition.

Additional Police Superintendent Mostafizur Rahman said legal procedures are underway and the bodies will be handed over to the families. The bus driver fled the scene after the accident.

A strong earthquake jolted Dhaka and several parts of Bangladesh on Friday morning, leaving five people dead nationwide, including four in the capital. The tremor, measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale, was felt at 10:39 am (21 November) across Bangladesh as well as parts of India.

Widespread panic followed the quake, with many fearing a stronger one might occur. Experts say the epicenter was close to Dhaka, causing the shaking to feel unusually intense. According to Md Mominul Islam, Director at the Meteorological Department, the outcome could have been catastrophic had the tremor lasted another 5 to 7 seconds.

The Met Office categorizes Bangladesh into three seismic risk zones. Districts in Sylhet, Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria, parts of Tangail, Gazipur and Narsingdi, along with the hilly districts of Khagrachhari and Rangamati, fall under the highest risk zone. In contrast, Khulna, Jessore, Barishal and Patuakhali are considered low-risk regions.

Urban authorities have identified around 2.1 million buildings in Dhaka as vulnerable. A joint JICA and Disaster Management Programme survey warns that a quake of magnitude 7 or higher could destroy up to 72,000 buildings and damage another 135,000 in the capital, creating nearly 70 million tons of debris.

Experts attribute Bangladesh’s seismic vulnerability to its position along multiple active fault lines, including the Indian and Eurasian plate boundaries and the Dauki, Madhupur, and Sagaing faults.

A series of earthquakes over two consecutive days has left at least 10 people dead in Dhaka, Narsingdi and Narayanganj, with more than 400 injured across the country. The first quake, recorded at 10:38am on Friday (21 November), measured 5.7 on the Richter scale and is being described as one of the strongest in recent decades. Its epicentre was located in Madhabdi of Narsingdi.

Less than 24 hours later, another tremor of magnitude 3.3 struck Palash in Narsingdi at 10:36am on Saturday. In the evening, two more quakes were felt in the capital—one measuring 3.7 at 6:06:04pm and a second measuring 4.3 just a second later. According to the Meteorological Department, both originated in Dhaka’s Badda area.

The repeated tremors have triggered widespread panic among residents. Many of Friday’s injuries occurred when chunks of concrete fell from buildings or as people rushed downstairs in fear.

Experts warn that Bangladesh remains highly vulnerable to seismic activity due to its location at the junction of three major tectonic plates: the Indian Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the Burma Microplate. Multiple active fault lines running across the country—including those stretching from Sylhet to the Chattogram Hill Tracts and around Dhaka-Narsingdi-Gazipur—are increasing the likelihood of frequent moderate quakes being strongly felt.