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New Market’s Rafin Plaza did not tilt in the earthquake; the building was designed this way

An earthquake was felt in various parts of the country at 10:38 AM on November 21st. According to the Meteorological Department, its magnitude on the Richter scale was $5.7$. In connection with this event, a video footage was circulated in the media claiming that a building in Dhaka’s New Market had tilted due to the earthquake.

See reports published in the media with this claim: Amar Desh (Facebook), News24 (Facebook), Somoy TV, Ittefaq, Amader Shomoy, BD Morning (Facebook).

Dhaka Times24 published a report with the same claim but later removed it.

See videos with the same claim on X, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram.

Saudi media outlet Al Arabiya also reported the same claim.

Fact Check

The Rumor Scanner Team’s investigation found that the widely discussed building named Rafin Plaza in Dhaka’s New Market did not tilt due to yesterday’s earthquake. Rather, the building was designed this way.

To investigate this matter, the same location in Dhaka’s New Market was found on Google Maps, using names like ‘Islamia Market Banik Bohumukhi Samabay Samiti Ltd.’ and various shop names visible in the circulated video. Using Google Street View technology, the widely discussed building was identified as Rafin Plaza. Rumor Scanner viewed the Street View of the same location for two years: 2023 and 2013. In both views, the building appears to be tilted just as it is at present.

This confirms that the building did not tilt due to yesterday’s earthquake.

To discuss the matter, contact was made with the Midnight Sun-2 Thai & Chinese Restaurant, which is located in the building. The restaurant authority informed Rumor Scanner that the claim about the building tilting is incorrect; it was constructed with this specific design. Subsequently, the owner of another nearby shop named Adiba Publications was contacted, and they also provided the same information to Rumor Scanner.

After this claim spread, multiple media outlets conducted on-site video reports, where locals confirmed that the claim was fake.

Therefore, the claim circulated on the internet that Dhaka’s New Market’s Rafin Plaza tilted due to yesterday’s earthquake is false.

Sources

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