They said the existing geological data is not enough for the urban planners and engineers to take precautionary measures before planning any buildings or power plants.

The seminar was organised by Bangladesh Earthquake Society at Brac University in the city.

In a presentation on 'Seismic Hazard for Bangladesh,' Dr John W Whitney of US Geological Survey identified Rajshahi, Sylhet, Comilla, Habiganj and Chittagong regions as most vulnerable to earthquake in the country.

Proposing a detailed seismic survey, Dr Whitney, also one of the authors of National Geological Map of Bangladesh, said, "The engineers must consider the seismic data to learn the nature of the soil while expanding urban areas and constructing power plants or other factories."

This is also important for the security of the local and foreign investors, he added.

Dr Whitney said nobody knows how the underground soil is going to behave in the next 100 or 200 years.

In this context, it is imperative that the country needs a realistic geological data, he said.

The seminar was chaired by Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, vice- chancellor of Brac University and chairman of Bangladesh Earthquake Society.

He laid emphasis on more discussions on the issue and the steps to initiate a project on undertaking the survey.

Director of Geological Survey of Bangladesh Mir Fazlul Karim and Prof Aftabul Alam of geology department of Dhaka University also spoke.