It was a regular early morning. I was sleeping like any other day. All of a sudden, the bed started shaking. Because I was asleep, I didn’t feel the shaking or realise that an earthquake was happening. This took place on the 4th of December at 6 o’clock. The 3.2-magnitude earthquake struck Dhaka and a few other places. Most people, like me, were sleeping. That is the most dangerous situation because when an earthquake happens and people are asleep, it becomes very hard to take the necessary safety measures in such a short time.
Before this, another 2.3-magnitude earthquake took place on Thursday, the 27th of November, 2025, while I was in art class. No one really felt the shaking because it was very mild, but I did. These 2 to 3-magnitude quakes don’t usually cause damage, but they leave a long-lasting fear of a bigger one.
Again, before this, on Friday, the 21st of November, the biggest earthquake Bangladesh has seen in recent years struck Dhaka and many other districts. It was a 5.7-magnitude earthquake that lasted for 26 seconds. It was truly a horrifying day for the people of Bangladesh. Ten people were killed and more than 450 were injured. It happened between 10 and 11 o’clock. I was eating when I suddenly saw the table shaking. At first, I thought it was because I was shaking my legs. But when I noticed the picture frames shaking, I screamed, “Earthquake!”
My mom, our domestic help aunty, and I stood under a beam. We were calling for my younger brother because he was in our study room. He ran out quickly, grabbed his school bag, and urged us to do what he was doing. But then the shaking stopped. He learned from his school during an earthquake drill that when an earthquake occurs, you must get under a desk and put your school bag over your head.
Then my mom, my brother, and I went downstairs and saw that most people in the colony were outside—some with crying children, others shocked and frightened. We called my father, who was in Malaysia attending the Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC), and then called some of our relatives to see if they were okay.
Earthquakes are very dangerous and cause a lot of chaos and loss. Do whatever it takes to stay safe. Stay safe, sound, and happy.
Projonmo Prokriti Prashnik, a student of Class Five, AG Church School, Dhaka.
