March 18, 2012 Earthquake: Dhaka, Bangladesh
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 18, 2012 at 02:56:13 UTC, 44 km below the surface. It killed 44 people.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- March 18, 2012
- Time
- 02:56:13 UTC
- Place
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Magnitude
- 4.5 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 44 km (27 mi)
- Intensity
- 4 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 23.662° N, 90.259° E
- Country
- Bangladesh
The toll
- Deaths
- 44
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Felt (IV) at Dhaka. Also felt at Barguna, Dhamrai, Dohar, Gajipur, Tangail and Tungi. (reference #1053)
44 deaths (reference #11454)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 14, 1885, Bangladesh
- September 9, 1923, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
- November 21, 2025, Dhaka, Narsingdi, Bangladesh
- January 3, 2017, Ambasa, Bangladesh, India
- February 6, 1988, Tipura-Assam, Sylhet, India, Bangladesh
- December 19, 2001, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- September 10, 2010, Narayanganj, Bangladesh
- November 11, 1842, Bangladesh
- July 8, 1918, Srimangal, Bangladesh
- June 30, 1868, Sylhet, Bangladesh
More
Significant earthquakes of 2012The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2012Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 10978.