A 5.5-magnitude earthquake jolted Dhaka on the third morning of the Bangladesh–Ireland second Test, forcing an abrupt suspension of play for nearly three minutes as strong tremors rippled through the city and surrounding regions, including parts of Eastern and Northeastern India.
The shockwaves, felt shortly after 10:38 a.m. local time (10:08 a.m. IST), triggered immediate alarm inside the stadium. Spectators scrambled out of the stands in search of open ground, while players and match officials instinctively moved toward the centre of the field.
Both teams’ dressing rooms emptied within seconds. The media box, a five-storey structure at the northern end of the venue, was also swiftly cleared as journalists rushed outside for safety.
Initial reports varied on the quake’s strength, but local Bangladeshi outlets confirmed a magnitude of 5.5, with the epicentre located near Madhabdi, roughly 40 kilometres east of Dhaka.
Parts of Eastern and Northeastern India, including Kolkata and Guwahati, the latter set to host the India–South Africa Test from Saturday, also experienced noticeable shaking.
Once officials declared conditions safe, play resumed in Dhaka. Ireland, resuming their reply to Bangladesh’s first-innings 476, slipped further as two wickets fell before lunch, leaving them at 211 for 7 at the interval on Day 3.