Bangladesh's shaky position

Sunday's 4.6 magnitude earthquake comes as yet another warning of the country's vulnerability to such disasters. While Bangladesh has developed a more or less efficient natural disaster preparedness plan in terms of floods and cyclones following the devastations of the last four decades, earthquakes are another story.
The country lies on a major geological faultline and has suffered several significant, and some less significant, tremors since the 20th century. However, earthquakes cannot be forecast and thus the key lies in developing a preparedness plan to minimise the effects and mitigate the aftermath of such a disaster.
First of all, the entire concept of urban planning must be reconsidered in the light of the possibility of such catastrophes. Currently, most high-rise buildings in the capital have not been constructed with proper precautionary measures, making the city one of the riskiest in the world. The building code should be rewritten as a legislative act and strictly enforced. Existing structures which need to be renovated or even demolished in the interest of public safety should be done so.
Secondly, the adequate financing, equipping and training of the fire department and civil defence and their coordination with the disaster management ministry are vital as they are the first responders to such disasters in terms of emergency services and rescue operations.
Finally, it is important to be well-prepared for the aftermath of the catastrophe, which includes medical services and shelters.
On top of it all, awareness of the general public, not to mention the relevant authorities, in order to reduce panic and know what should be done in the event of an earthquake, is important.
We hope the authorities will devise a comprehensive plan ensuring all the above in order to minimise the risk of death, injury and damages to people and infrastructure in the event of such potentially devastating disasters.