Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu told parliament that a total of 445 safe shelters have been identified in Dhaka as part of earthquake and urban disaster preparedness efforts. The list includes 256 shelters under Dhaka South City Corporation and 189 under Dhaka North City Corporation. A formal proposal has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office to officially declare these sites as earthquake shelters.

Responding to a question from Gopalganj-1 MP Selimuzzaman Mollah, the minister said a coordinated volunteer database is being developed to keep 100,000 volunteers ready in Dhaka and nearby areas. He added that monitoring and rapid dissemination of earthquake and tsunami information have been strengthened through coordination among the Meteorological Department, Geological Survey, and other relevant agencies.

The minister emphasized that, given Bangladesh’s proximity to earthquake and tsunami-prone zones, the government is prioritizing preparedness and risk reduction measures, including adherence to the Bangladesh National Building Code for earthquake-resistant infrastructure.

A rare and endangered reticulated python was rescued from a house in Muslim Para of Chitmaram Union under Kaptai upazila in Rangamati. The rescue was carried out by the local environmental group 'Prokritir Dol' under the Biodiversity Conservation Project of the Rangamati Hill District Council. The python, measuring about seven feet in length, was recovered on Wednesday morning and later handed over to the Kaptai Range of the South Forest Division.

Following the direction of divisional forest officer S M Sajjad Hossain, the python was released into a national park. Kaptai Range Officer Mohammad Mamunur Rahman confirmed that the snake was freed deep inside the forest. Officials said that around 18 snakes had been released into the wild over the past one and a half months.

The rescue and release were conducted in the presence of forest and biodiversity officials, local journalists, and members of the environmental team, highlighting ongoing efforts to protect wildlife in the region.

A sweeping heatwave has engulfed Europe, with France, Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom reporting record or near-record temperatures. Scientists have identified the recurring heatwaves as a clear sign of global warming and warned that such events will become more frequent, prolonged, and intense. In France, nearly 20 people drowned over the weekend as citizens sought relief in rivers and lakes, prompting the sports minister to urge safety compliance. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was scheduled to chair an emergency cabinet meeting to address the crisis.

The heat forced the shutdown of a reactor at the Golfech nuclear power plant in southwestern France after river water used for cooling exceeded safe temperature limits. Over 1,350 schools were closed as the national average temperature reached 29.2°C, surpassing all previous June records. Belgium’s weather agency forecast that the heatwave could last a week, possibly marking the country’s hottest period on record. Germany reported at least five drowning deaths, while the UK issued its highest-level heat alert for parts of England.

Authorities across Europe have advised limiting travel and outdoor activity, particularly for vulnerable groups, as infrastructure and public health systems face mounting pressure.

The Namar Bazar underpass on the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway in Sitakunda upazila has become a serious safety hazard for thousands of residents. Built in 2010 under the four-lane highway development project by Chinese contractor Sinohydro Corporation, the structure was intended to ensure safe local movement. However, poor planning and lack of oversight have made it dangerously narrow and low, preventing fire service and emergency vehicles from passing through. Residents say the underpass now symbolizes daily fear and prolonged suffering.

Investigations revealed that after the project’s handover, key documents including the original design, as-built drawings, and cost records are missing from relevant offices. This disappearance has raised local suspicions about possible administrative failure or attempts to conceal irregularities. Sitakunda’s municipal administrator and the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) officials acknowledged design flaws and missing files. They said technical measures and renovation efforts will be taken to ease public suffering and ensure emergency access.

Authorities plan to identify structural problems, remove illegal structures, and carry out necessary repairs to make the underpass safe for emergency vehicles.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard conducted an operation on Tuesday in the Padma River near Daulatdia Ferry Ghat and surrounding areas of Goaland upazila in Rajbari district to prevent illegal fishing and river pollution. During the drive, officers seized a large quantity of banned fishing nets and publicly burned them to destroy the materials.

The operation, carried out by a four-member Coast Guard patrol team from Rajbari, targeted illegal fishing activities using current nets, China duari nets, behundi nets, and mosquito nets, as well as unauthorized dredging. Authorities confiscated 5,000 meters of illegal mosquito nets, 5,000 meters of illegal charghera nets, and various other banned nets, with an estimated market value of about 950,000 taka.

Following approval from Goaland Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Anwarul Islam Pilot, the seized nets were burned. He confirmed that similar operations will continue regularly to protect the river’s ecological balance and conserve jatka fish, with strict measures against illegal fishing and the use of prohibited nets.

The Teesta River has risen 1 centimeter above the danger level at Dalia point in Lalmonirhat following heavy rainfall and the opening of all gates at India’s Gajoldoba Barrage. The Water Development Board (WDB) is keeping 44 sluice gates open to control the flow and is monitoring the situation continuously.

According to WDB sources, heavy rainfall and upstream inflow may continue for the next two to three days, raising concerns of worsening flood conditions in Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, and Kurigram. Local residents expressed frustration over India’s water management, saying that water is withheld during dry seasons but released excessively during monsoon, causing hardship.

Officials from the WDB and Teesta Barrage confirmed that low-lying areas along the river have already been flooded and urged residents to remain alert as water levels continue to rise.

Continuous heavy rainfall over the past two to three days has raised serious fears of landslides in Teknaf, a border upazila of Cox’s Bazar. Thousands of residents living at the foot of hills are now at risk, prompting local administration and forest officials to issue special warnings and conduct loudspeaker announcements urging people in vulnerable areas to move to safer shelters.

According to local sources and officials, the downpour began on the night of June 21 and continued until the afternoon of June 22, softening the soil and increasing the risk of hill collapse. Areas including Hnila, Whaikyang, Sabrang, Baharchhara, and parts of Teknaf Sadar have been identified as highly vulnerable. More than five hundred houses in low-lying areas have become waterlogged, disrupting road communication and submerging agricultural land and shrimp enclosures.

Officials confirmed that evacuation efforts are underway, with coordination between forest workers and local representatives. The Teknaf Upazila administration is monitoring the situation and preparing relief for affected families while ensuring the safety of those trapped by floodwaters.

A severe heatwave has gripped Europe, disrupting daily life and breaking temperature records across multiple countries. On Monday, June 22, temperatures soared to unprecedented levels, with France reporting at least 18 deaths linked to the extreme heat. In Bordeaux, the temperature reached 41.9°C, surpassing previous records, while Poitiers recorded 41.2°C, breaking a 1947 record. Authorities closed or rescheduled classes in several French regions as a precaution.

The UK Met Office warned that the ongoing heatwave could break the country’s June temperature record, forecasting highs of up to 39°C. Spain also faced unusually high temperatures, with forecasts of 40°C in San Sebastián, while Italy issued red alerts in 12 cities due to the heat. Wildlife in Belgium has been affected, with birds suffering from extreme roof temperatures reaching 50–60°C.

Experts attribute the heatwave to an atmospheric pattern known as the “omega block,” which traps warm air over Europe. They note that climate change is intensifying such extreme weather events, increasing both heatwaves and heavy rainfall.

A sudden surge of water from upstream caused the Teesta embankment to collapse, flooding large areas across northern Bangladesh. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre issued a new alert on Monday, warning that within 72 hours, short-term flooding could occur in low-lying areas of Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Rangpur, Sylhet, and Sunamganj districts, with temporary inundation possible in parts of Netrakona, Mymensingh, and Sherpur. Local residents and water experts attributed the flooding to heavy rainfall in India and uncoordinated water releases from upstream.

Abdullah Al Hadi, chairman of Lakshmitari Union in Rangpur’s Gangachara, said the sudden flood broke the Teesta embankment, submerging vast farmland and damaging crops of about 50,000 people. He blamed India’s unilateral water management for repeated losses in Teesta basin areas. The Water Development Board confirmed that the floods were caused by heavy rainfall in India’s upstream regions, not domestic rain, and warned that the situation could persist for five days.

Meteorologists forecast below-average rainfall in June but expect heavier rain in Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet from June 27, which could worsen flooding in affected regions.

Unplanned waste management and long-neglected drainage cleaning have caused severe waterlogging at Maona intersection, the central hub of Sreepur upazila in Gazipur. Drains on both sides of the highway are clogged with garbage, polythene, plastic, and decomposable waste, leading to foul-smelling black water overflowing onto the road even after light rain. This has disrupted traffic and created serious public health risks.

Although the Sreepur municipal administration has recently started cleaning the drains, the removed waste has been piled up beside the highway, drawing criticism from locals. Residents complain that rainwater washes the waste back into the drains, nullifying the cleaning effort and spreading stench across the area. Business owners and transport workers report losses and traffic jams due to the persistent waterlogging.

Sreepur’s Upazila Nirbahi Officer and municipal administrator Md. Nahid Bhuiyan acknowledged the long-standing problem and said waste removal is ongoing despite difficulties during the monsoon. He added that long-term plans are being developed for a permanent solution.

A longstanding design flaw in Sitakunda, a key industrial area and gateway to Chattogram, is severely hampering emergency response operations. The local Fire Service and Civil Defence station, located beside the Dhaka–Chattogram highway, faces a permanent road divider directly in front of it. The absence of an emergency crossing, pocket gate, or U-turn prevents fire trucks from quickly reaching incidents on the opposite side of the highway, forcing them to take long detours or drive against traffic.

Residents and experts describe the issue as a serious public safety failure rather than a mere design oversight. The opposite side of the highway contains densely populated residential zones, markets, and factories, yet no effective access route exists for emergency vehicles. Fire safety specialists emphasize that the first five to ten minutes after a fire outbreak are critical, but delays caused by this obstruction often allow fires to spread uncontrollably.

Local citizens and business owners are urging authorities to create a controlled emergency pocket gate through coordination among the Roads and Highways Department, Highway Police, Fire Service, and local administration to prevent further risk to lives and property.

A mobile court in Araihazar upazila of Narayanganj fined a landowner Tk 50,000 for illegally extracting sand from farmland in the Tatipara Kolagachia area. The operation, conducted on Monday afternoon, was led by Executive Magistrate and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Mostafizur Rahman Imon. The court also removed and destroyed dredger pipes used in the illegal activity.

According to court sources, sand was being extracted by cutting the topsoil of agricultural land using a dredger machine without approval from the district administration. Upon verification of the allegation, the landowner, identified as Mst. Nargis, was penalized under relevant laws.

The executive magistrate stated that the administration will continue operations against illegal soil and sand extraction that damages farmland fertility and will take strict legal action to protect the environment and agricultural land.

A voluntary organization has planted 1,500 saplings along rural roads in Munshiganj to provide shade and relief for residents suffering from the summer heat. The tree-planting program, held on Monday morning under the theme 'Green Afforestation, Shaded Pathway Creation,' was organized by Bikrampur Manab Seba Foundation. The initiative, funded by the organization itself, covered two unpaved roads in Charbeherpara of Shiloi Union in Munshiganj Sadar and Kaikkati area of Dighirpar Union in Tongibari.

According to the report, the roads pass through croplands with little vegetation, forcing villagers to travel under intense sunlight. Member Salauddin Molla said the goal was to make these routes more comfortable by creating shaded pathways. General Secretary Biplob Hasan added that since 2018, the foundation has planted about 10,000 saplings along nine roads under its 'Chhayapath' program and monitors the plants for three to four months after planting.

Several members of the organization, including Jasim Molla, Jubayer Shikder, Rakib Hasan, Manik Sheikh, and Selim Ahmed Fahim, participated in the event.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has expressed deep sorrow and sympathy over the deaths of 11 people, including three madrasa students, caused by lightning strikes across the country. The statement was issued on Monday by Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, the party’s Assistant Secretary General and Secretary of the Publicity and Media Department. The lightning incidents occurred between Sunday afternoon and night, June 21.

According to the statement, the victims included farmers, laborers, and ordinary citizens, with fatalities reported in Savar, Manikganj, Narsingdi, Netrokona, Jamalpur, and Kishoreganj. Zubair called on the government to provide financial assistance to the affected families and prayed for the forgiveness of the deceased and the recovery of the injured.

He also urged the authorities to strengthen early warning systems and public awareness campaigns during adverse weather, install lightning protection in high-risk workplaces, and advised citizens to remain in safe locations during storms.

A rare white buffalo known as 'Donald Trump' has been transferred from Bangladesh’s National Zoo to the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) in Savar. The zoo’s director, Dr. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Talukder, confirmed on Monday that the relocation followed an administrative decision. The move aims to enhance the animal’s conservation, research, and breeding programs, and the entire process was carried out under official supervision.

The white buffalo gained public attention for its unusual name and distinctive appearance, which made it a major attraction at the National Zoo. Previously, the animal had been kept at a farm in Narayanganj and became widely discussed on social media after being named 'Donald Trump' due to its hair resembling that of the U.S. president. The government later decided to preserve the animal instead of using it for sacrifice and moved it to the National Zoo on May 27. Following the latest administrative order, it has now been relocated to BLRI for further care and research.