Continuous heavy rainfall in Bandarban has sharply increased the risk of hill and landslides, prompting the Youth Red Crescent to launch awareness campaigns urging residents in vulnerable areas to move to safer locations. Under the supervision of unit officer Mohammad Asadul Haidar Chowdhury, trained volunteers used loudspeakers to alert people living at the foothills and along riverbanks.

During the campaign, volunteers visited highly risky neighborhoods such as Godar Para, Barishal Para, and Ujani Para, speaking directly with residents about the potential dangers of landslides. They urged locals to remain prepared for emergencies and to relocate promptly to nearby government shelters if necessary.

The Youth Red Crescent Bandarban unit stated that its awareness and humanitarian assistance efforts will continue until the disaster situation improves, emphasizing the importance of staying calm, avoiding rumors, and following official instructions from local authorities and disaster management committees.

Traffic on the Chattogram-Kaptai road came to a halt on Tuesday morning following a landslide in the Baluchara area of Wagga Union under Kaptai upazila in Rangamati district. The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m., temporarily suspending movement of vehicles and pedestrians. According to Kaptai Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sheikh Mahmudul Hasan Rubel, a team led by Senior Station Officer Delwar Hossain from the Kaptai Fire Service began clearing trees and debris with help from locals. No casualties have been reported.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Raihanul Islam visited the site along with police and local officials to assess the situation and inspect vulnerable areas. Following instructions from the district administration, 18 shelters have been opened across five unions in the upazila to accommodate residents if needed. The administration has arranged food and safety measures for those taking refuge.

Authorities continue cleanup operations to restore normal traffic movement and ensure safety in the affected region.

Flight operations at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram were disrupted on Tuesday due to severe weather conditions. From the morning, three flights were unable to land and were diverted to Dhaka, while other flights experienced delays ranging from 30 minutes to one hour. The information was confirmed by the airport’s public relations officer, Engineer Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil.

According to the official, US-Bangla Airlines flight BS350 from Abu Dhabi to Chattogram and Air Arabia flight G9-526 from Sharjah to Chattogram were diverted to Dhaka. Additionally, Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG121 from Dhaka to Chattogram returned to Dhaka after failing to land. Heavy rainfall and strong winds with speeds of 80–90 kilometers per hour were reported in the airport area, creating unsafe conditions for flight operations.

The adverse weather caused widespread disruption throughout the day, though no reports of flooding at the airport were mentioned in the source.

Sixty-nine tourists have been stranded at Nafakhum waterfall in Thanchi upazila of Bandarban after several days of rainfall caused the Sangu River to swell, cutting off access to the upazila headquarters. The affected areas include Padma Jhiri, Raja Patar, Amiya Khum, Nafakhum, and Remakri. Local guides and five engine-powered boats have been dispatched to bring the tourists back safely, according to Clement Tripura, general secretary of the Tourist Guide Welfare Association.

In response to the situation, the Thanchi upazila administration has issued an emergency notice banning travel to all tourist centers, hill trails, river routes, remote areas, and risky locations. A tourist from Dhaka, Ashraf, said their group was unable to return the previous day due to strong currents but managed to come back today. Another guide, Gorbel Tripura, reported that some tourists remain in Nafakhum and other nearby spots, while his group has safely returned.

Authorities are monitoring the situation as rescue efforts continue amid rising water levels and travel restrictions in the region.

Continuous heavy rainfall over several days has triggered hill torrents and tidal water intrusion through broken embankments, flooding vast areas of Banshkhali in Chattogram. At least 20,000 people in areas including Chanua, Shekherkhil, Napora, Chambal, Shilkup, Jaldi municipality, Premashia, Kadamrasul, and Pukuria have become waterlogged. Thousands of homes are submerged, leaving residents unable to cook and forcing many into hunger. Fish farms and rural roads have also been inundated, cutting off communication in several villages.

Local social workers and union officials reported that entire neighborhoods such as Madhukhali and Napora are isolated, with key roads and bamboo bridges submerged or damaged. Complaints have surfaced that fishing nets placed in sluice gates are obstructing water flow. Residents have urged immediate government intervention and road repairs to restore access and prevent further damage.

In coastal areas like Khan Khanabad and Baharchhara, tidal water has damaged croplands and homes, raising fears of worsening conditions if embankments are not repaired promptly.

Widespread rainfall continued across Bangladesh on July 7, 2026, as a monsoon low over the Bay of Bengal caused heavy downpours in coastal areas including Chattogram. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) reported that the low pressure remained strong, prompting authorities to maintain local cautionary signal number 3 at all maritime ports. Fishermen and trawlers in the northern Bay were advised to stay near the coast and navigate carefully due to rough sea conditions.

According to the latest BMD forecast signed by meteorologist Khondoker Hafizur Rahman, the monsoon depression had weakened into a well-marked low over eastern Madhya Pradesh after moving northwest from Odisha and Jharkhand. However, pressure variations over the northern Bay continued to generate gusty winds. Over the previous 24 hours, Chattogram recorded 283 millimeters of rain, Kutubdia 195, Sandwip 167, Bandarban 128, and Ambagan 177, while Dhaka saw 14 millimeters.

The BMD warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall may persist for 48 hours in Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions, potentially disrupting daily life and flooding low-lying areas. The department said it is monitoring conditions continuously and will issue updates as needed.

A woman named Nasima Akter, aged 27, was killed in a landslide triggered by continuous heavy rainfall in Cox’s Bazar’s Jhilongja Union under Sadar upazila on Tuesday, July 7. The incident occurred around 1 p.m. in the Dorianagar Borochhara area, where her house was buried under a collapsed hillside. Her husband and child were seriously injured and taken to Cox’s Bazar District Hospital, where Nasima was declared dead by doctors.

Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tahmina Akter confirmed the incident and said the administration had earlier warned residents in risky hilly areas to move to safer locations, but many did not comply. Continuous rainfall has caused multiple landslides across the district.

According to official information, a total of 11 people have died in landslides across Cox’s Bazar over the past two days, including eight in Ukhiya’s Rohingya camps, two in Cox’s Bazar town, and one in Pekua upazila.

Boat movement between Teknaf and Saint Martin in Cox’s Bazar has been suspended for six consecutive days due to rough weather, severely disrupting daily life on the country’s only coral island. The suspension has particularly affected Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinees who are struggling to reach examination centers.

Local social worker M. Nur Mohammad said that the halt in boat operations has caused extreme hardship for both students and residents. Acting chairman of Saint Martin Union Parishad, Fayezul Islam, stated that the suspension began last Thursday and warned that if it continues, the island could face a serious food shortage. Upazila Nirbahi Officer S. M. Anik Chowdhury confirmed that the suspension is temporary and that authorities have been informed about the students’ situation.

Officials indicated that the resumption of boat services depends on weather improvement, while residents remain concerned about essential supplies and mobility.

Continuous heavy rainfall has severely disrupted life in the port city of Chattogram. Since Tuesday morning, water has inundated major areas including Agrabad, Chawkbazar, Bakalia, Chandgaon, Patenga, and Kuwaish. Roads have gone underwater, homes and shops have been flooded, and traffic has come to a standstill. Many residents, especially workers, struggled to reach their workplaces due to waterlogging and a shortage of public transport.

The worst-affected areas include Agrabad, Chawkbazar, Bakalia, Kazirhat, Halishahar, Chandgaon, Sunnia Madrasa Road, Akmal Ali Road, Patenga, and Kuwaish. Furniture and goods in homes and businesses have been damaged. According to the Patenga weather office, 330.8 millimeters of rainfall were recorded in the 24 hours up to 9 a.m., while the Ambagan office reported 259 millimeters during the same period. Officials expect the rain to continue for another two to three days.

Chattogram City Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain said that 30 percent of work on the Mirza Canal remains incomplete, which has contributed to waterlogging in parts of the city. He added that city authorities are working continuously to reduce flooding impacts.

Authorities in Chattogram city have announced a one-day closure of all secondary schools on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, due to continuous heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions. The decision covers government, city corporation-run, and private institutions, with all scheduled examinations postponed for the day. The move aims to ensure student safety and reduce travel difficulties caused by flooding and poor weather.

Kissinger Chakma, Education Officer of Chattogram City Corporation, confirmed that the closure was declared prioritizing student safety amid the natural disaster. He added that if weather conditions improve, school activities and postponed exams will resume according to a revised schedule. A notice circulated in the Chattogram Teachers’ Association WhatsApp group also prompted private school principals to declare the closure.

Ariful Ul Hasan Chowdhury, Principal of Bawa School, said heavy rain and waterlogging made student travel risky, leading to the closure. Schools have advised parents to follow official notices for further updates.

The fecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP) project in Nilphamari municipality has been shut down due to shortages of modern machinery, skilled technical staff, and waste segregation systems. The Tk 11 crore project, designed to reduce environmental pollution and produce organic fertilizer from human waste, has failed to deliver expected results and is now non-operational.

According to municipal sources, the FSTP was built in 2023 on 2.89 acres of land as part of a planned sanitation initiative. It aimed to collect human waste from households and institutions using vacuum tankers, treat it in an environmentally friendly way, and convert it into organic fertilizer. However, the plant could not function effectively as collected waste remained untreated and piled up.

Officials cited the absence of modern equipment to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste as the main obstacle. With about 95 percent of the collected waste consisting of plastic and other non-degradable materials, manual separation proved impractical. Authorities noted that proper machinery could enable fertilizer production and generate municipal revenue.

An article published on July 7, 2026, highlights the persistent problem of polythene bag use in Bangladesh despite existing legal bans. Under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act of 1995, the government has the authority to prohibit the production, import, and sale of environmentally harmful polythene and plastic materials. Although enforcement initially reduced usage after severe flooding in 2004, weak monitoring since 2008 has allowed illegal production and free distribution to return.

The article notes that one-time-use polythene bags have become pervasive across cities and rural areas, clogging drains and polluting soil and waterways. Efforts by the interim government’s trade and environment advisers to promote jute bags have faced public resistance due to cost differences. The author argues that instead of maintaining a full ban, the government could impose high tariffs, taxes, and VAT on polythene bags so that their retail price exceeds 20–30 taka, discouraging use and encouraging consumers to switch to reusable jute alternatives.

Such a policy could simultaneously reduce environmental damage and generate significant government revenue, similar to existing high-tax models on cigarettes and soft drinks.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the country’s main source for early disaster warnings, is facing a severe operational crisis as all five of its Doppler radar stations are currently out of service. The radars located in Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar, Khepupara, Rangpur, and Moulvibazar have become nonfunctional due to technical faults, expired components, and lack of maintenance. Experts warn that this situation could significantly reduce the accuracy of real-time forecasts during cyclones, heavy rainfall, and other natural disasters.

Officials from the department claim that they are using alternative data sources, including radars from the Air Force, India’s Agartala, and Japan, as well as satellite imagery, to continue monitoring weather conditions. Repairs are underway for the Rangpur and Dhaka radars, with expectations of partial restoration by July 9. The remaining radars are planned to be replaced under a JICA-funded project.

Experts emphasize that a functional radar network is vital for Bangladesh’s disaster preparedness and public safety. They urge the government to establish a sustainable maintenance system to prevent future disruptions in early warning capabilities.

China has planted more than 66 billion trees since 1978 under its Great Green Wall project, aimed at halting the spread of the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts. A recent study found that these planted trees are growing faster than natural forests and play a major role in carbon absorption, helping to maintain environmental balance. The government plans to plant an additional 34 billion trees by 2050 as part of the long-term afforestation effort.

Researchers discovered that the planted trees’ leaf area expanded 66 percent faster than that of natural forests, based on satellite data measuring the leaf area index, a key indicator of canopy density and carbon uptake. The study suggests that human-managed forests, often containing fast-growing species such as eucalyptus and poplar, benefit from controlled conditions like pruning and fertilization, which reduce competition for water and nutrients.

However, scientists noted that the rapid growth of planted trees slows after 30 to 40 years, making their carbon absorption benefits temporary. In contrast, natural forests grow more steadily and provide longer-term carbon storage and ecological resilience.

Thousands of residents across southern Europe have been forced to evacuate as new wildfires spread through Portugal, Spain, France, and Greece. Authorities in France banned spectators from Monday’s Tour de France stage through the Pyrenees due to the fire threat. More than 20,000 hectares of land have burned across the region, with temperatures reaching 43°C in parts of Spain. In France’s Pyrénées area near Perpignan, over 10,500 people were told to leave their homes as flames consumed more than 4,600 hectares.

Firefighters are battling multiple blazes, including in France’s Drôme region and Greece’s Thessaloniki area, where fires reached factories. In Spain’s Costa Brava, more than 2,200 hectares burned in two days. Portugal reported controlling a northern fire that destroyed 13,000 hectares, while Croatia’s Hvar island and Albania’s Tale area also suffered major losses.

Scientists from World Weather Attribution said June’s record heat in Europe would have been “virtually impossible” without human-induced climate change. Authorities have extended heat alerts in Portugal, Spain, and France, warning that the new heatwave could last through the weekend.