It was just another Friday morning, around 10:08 am, when things suddenly got unsettling. If you were in Kolkata or nearby areas, you probably felt it—a distinct, unnerving tremor that made fans sway and wall hangings dance. For a few brief seconds, a powerful 5.7-magnitude earthquake, with its epicenter just across the border in Bangladesh, made its presence known, sending a wave of panic across eastern India and triggering a cascade of tragic and even political consequences.
Key Highlights
- ✓ A 5.7-magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in Bangladesh struck on Friday morning.
- ✓ Strong tremors were felt across Kolkata and other parts of eastern India, causing panic and evacuations.
- ✓ Tragically, at least six people died in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, due to collapsing structures.
- ✓ The event sparked a political row in West Bengal, with the BJP taking a sarcastic dig at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
- ✓ The quake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km, making the ground shaking more intense.
The Moment the Ground Moved
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) pinpointed the quake's origin about 13-14 km from Narsingdi in Bangladesh, at a shallow depth of just 10 kilometers. When an earthquake is this close to the surface, the seismic waves have less distance to travel, which means the shaking on the ground feels much stronger. And people definitely felt it. From homes and offices across Kolkata, reports flooded in of mild but unmistakable tremors.
In today's world, the first thing people do is grab their phones, and this was no exception. Within minutes, social media was buzzing with videos and firsthand accounts. Dr. Tapas Pramanick shared a post about employees in the bustling Salt Lake IT sector evacuating their buildings as a precautionary measure. Another user, Dr. Dilshad, posted a video capturing the exact moment the quake hit, showing light fixtures swinging ominously. It was a shared experience that quickly connected thousands online.
The vibrations weren't just limited to Kolkata. They rippled out across other parts of West Bengal, including Dakshin and Uttar Dinajpur and Cooch Behar. The shake was even felt in neighboring states like Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, along with cities like Guwahati, Agartala, and Shillong. Thankfully, despite the widespread panic and people rushing out onto the streets, there were no initial reports of injuries or significant damage in India.
A Different Story in Bangladesh
While India thankfully escaped the worst of it, the story in Bangladesh was tragically different. Being much closer to the epicenter, the capital city of Dhaka experienced a far more violent jolt. According to reports from Dhaka-based DBC Television, the earthquake claimed the lives of at least six people in the city. The details are heartbreaking and paint a grim picture of the quake's direct impact.
Three of the victims died when a building roof and a wall collapsed, a sudden and terrifying event for anyone nearby. The other three were pedestrians, innocent passersby who were killed when railings from a building fell on them. It’s a devastating reminder of how vulnerable urban infrastructure can be during a seismic event, especially in a city as densely populated as Dhaka.
The Science Behind the Shake
So, why is this region so prone to earthquakes? It's all about geography and the colossal forces of plate tectonics. Bangladesh, along with northern India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, sits in one of the world's most seismically active zones. This is where the massive Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates are constantly colliding. Think of it like a slow-motion car crash that's been happening for millions of years.
Bangladesh, in particular, is at the junction of three plates: the Indian, Eurasian, and Burma plates. The Indian plate is pushing northeast at a rate of about 6 cm per year, while the Eurasian plate shifts north at around 2 cm annually. This constant pressure builds up stress in the Earth's crust, which is eventually released in the form of earthquakes along major fault lines like the Bogura, Tripura, Dauki, and Assam faults that crisscross the country.
This geological reality puts cities like Dhaka in a precarious position. With a population density exceeding 30,000 people per square kilometer, it's not only one of the world's most crowded cities but also ranks among the top 20 most earthquake-vulnerable cities globally. The combination of high population and seismic risk is a recipe for potential disaster.
When a Natural Event Turns Political
You'd think an earthquake would be a moment for unity, a time to check on your neighbors and put differences aside. But here's where the story takes a sharp turn into the world of politics. Moments after the tremors subsided in Kolkata, the Bengal unit of the BJP took to social media with a sharp, sarcastic jab aimed directly at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Their post read: "West Bengal just felt earthquake tremors. Mamata Banerjee, was it because of SIR?" This wasn't just a random comment; it was a direct reference to a fiery political battle brewing in the state over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Chief Minister and her party, the Trinamool Congress, have been fiercely opposing the SIR process, while the BJP supports it.
Just a day before the earthquake, Mamata Banerjee had penned a strongly worded letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. She urged him to halt the SIR immediately, calling the exercise "chaotic, coercive and dangerous." She argued that it was being forced upon officials and citizens without proper planning, training, or clear communication, creating immense confusion and crippling the system.
The Trinamool Congress has even claimed the immense pressure from the SIR process has led to the deaths of at least 30 people in Bengal, including two Booth Level Officers (BLOs) who allegedly died by suicide. The BJP, on the other hand, fired back, dismissing these claims as "theatrics." They allege that the Chief Minister is trying to halt a lawful process because her party's survival depends on protecting a "voter base created fraudulently." The BJP's earthquake tweet was a way of mocking her claims that the SIR was causing chaos and shaking up the state.
Conclusion
In the end, the earthquake of November 21st was a multifaceted event. For many in Kolkata and eastern India, it was a few moments of fear and a rush of adrenaline. For the families in Dhaka, it was a day of unimaginable loss and tragedy. And in the charged political atmosphere of West Bengal, it became yet another piece of ammunition in an ongoing feud. It’s a powerful reminder that while the ground beneath us is constantly shifting due to natural forces, the political ground can be just as volatile.
