The earthquake that shook Bangladesh on Friday morning originated in Madhabdi, Narsingdi district. Meteorologists say the 5.7-magnitude tremor is the strongest to originate within the country in several decades.

While previous earthquake epicentres in Bangladesh were recorded in regions such as Sylhet and Noakhali, this time the center was significantly closer to Dhaka—an unusual occurrence at this magnitude.

Mehedi Ahmed Ansari, professor of civil engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and a leading earthquake researcher, explained that Bangladesh sits atop five tectonic source zones, including faults stretching from Noakhali to Cox’s Bazar, Noakhali to Sylhet, and from Sylhet toward India. Narsingdi lies on a minor branch of the major fault between Noakhali and Sylhet, making Friday’s epicenter unusual but not impossible.

Prof. Ansari warned that the recent tremor could be a “precursor signal” of a larger earthquake. “Before a major quake, a region typically experiences a series of smaller ones. This event may be an early warning,” he said.

He added that historically, regions face the likelihood of a major earthquake every 100 to 150 years. In and around Bangladesh, the last major quake occurred nearly a century ago, with about five moderate ones over the past 150 years.

Given this seismic history, experts caution that the possibility of another major earthquake in the near future cannot be ruled out.