Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Bir Muktijoddha Md. Abdus Salam said the corporation is working tirelessly to transform Dhaka into a livable, modern, clean, and green city. He emphasized that achieving this goal requires active participation and collective effort from the government, administration, political organizations, and city residents. Salam made these remarks on Friday afternoon while inaugurating a tree-planting program organized by Shahbagh Thana BNP near the Government Employees Hospital in the capital.

Highlighting cleanliness and mosquito control, the administrator stressed the importance of preventing dengue and chikungunya during the upcoming monsoon. He said DSCC is conducting special activities under a weekly cleaning day program across the city, but residents must also remain vigilant by keeping their homes and surroundings clean and ensuring no stagnant water accumulates.

Salam praised the BNP’s tree-planting initiative as a commendable effort that will contribute to greening Dhaka and making it more livable. The event began with the administrator planting a sapling at the site, attended by leaders of Shahbagh Thana BNP and affiliated organizations.

Relief and Disaster Management Minister Asadul Habib Dulu announced that Bangladesh will excavate 20,000 kilometers of canals over the next five years. He stated that a ministry meeting decided to implement 7,000 kilometers of canal re-excavation, with 1,500 kilometers scheduled for this year. Except for one district, the work will be carried out through local administrations across 64 districts.

Speaking in Shahrasthi, Chandpur, on Friday, the minister said the new canal excavation program includes additional components such as tree planting along canal banks and fish cultivation in the canals. He emphasized that the government aims to ensure transparency in all projects and that accountability is being strengthened under the current administration.

The initiative is part of broader efforts to improve water management and local livelihoods through environmentally sustainable measures, according to the minister’s remarks at the event.

The newly elected government of Bangladesh, led by Tarique Rahman, has given final approval to the long-awaited Padma Barrage Project during the third meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday. The project, estimated to cost Tk 50,443.64 crore, aims to restore water flow and biodiversity in 26 districts and 123 upazilas of the country’s southwest region. The government has allocated Tk 34,497.25 crore for the first phase of implementation.

According to the Water Resources Ministry, the project seeks to mitigate the severe environmental and agricultural damage caused by India’s unilateral withdrawal of water through the Farakka Barrage. The ministry’s documents describe how reduced river flow has led to desertification, salinity, and water scarcity across large areas, threatening livelihoods and ecosystems, including the Sundarbans. Environmentalists have welcomed the approval, calling the barrage a vital step to revive dying rivers and ensure water security.

The Water Resources Minister stated that the Padma Barrage is an internal matter for Bangladesh and does not require India’s consent. The project includes construction of the main barrage, hydroelectric facilities, and dredging of major river systems to restore natural water flow.

The United Nations General Assembly is set to hold a crucial vote in New York next week on a new resolution addressing climate justice. The proposal urges member states to endorse the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion recognizing legal obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and control fossil fuel use. The initiative, led by Pacific island nation Vanuatu, seeks to reinforce international legal accountability in tackling the climate crisis.

The ICJ issued its advisory opinion last year after hearings in The Hague, which was supported by 132 countries without opposition. Small island states hailed the opinion as a historic victory. Vanuatu has since spearheaded efforts to translate that opinion into a binding political commitment, aiming to secure broad support before the May 20 vote.

The latest draft of the resolution has been softened under pressure, particularly from the United States. References to a rapid and just phaseout of fossil fuels have been replaced with a call for gradual transition, and plans for an international registry of climate-related losses have been dropped.

Severe early rains have caused extensive damage to boro rice crops in Bangladesh’s haor region, destroying 49,073 hectares or 11 percent of cultivated land and resulting in losses of about 213,000 tons of rice worth Tk 1,047 crore. Around 236,000 farmers have been affected, raising serious concerns for national food security. The boro season, which supplies 55–60 percent of the country’s total rice, has become increasingly vulnerable to weather disruptions.

The report attributes the crisis to human-driven factors, including government agricultural policies that prioritize high-yield, irrigation-dependent BRRI rice varieties such as BRRI dhan-28 and dhan-29. These varieties have lost disease resistance over time, and farmers faced delays and quality issues with seeds supplied by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation. Mechanization efforts, including the use of ACI’s combined harvesters, failed to mitigate the disaster. Unplanned embankments built by the Water Development Board have worsened waterlogging, while excessive pesticide use has harmed livestock and aquatic life.

The interim government has formed committees to regulate pesticide use in haor districts, but farmers and fishers continue to demand an end to the lease system that favors political and business elites.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department reported that rainfall caused by a western low-pressure system is continuing across the country and is expected to persist for the next five days. The agency warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur in parts of Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions until Saturday, with possible temporary waterlogging in some areas of Sylhet. The latest forecast issued at 6 p.m. on Thursday indicated that heavy rain could continue until Monday.

According to the department, rainfall between 44 and 88 millimeters is considered heavy, while more than 88 millimeters is classified as very heavy. In the past 24 hours until Thursday evening, Dinajpur recorded 87 millimeters of rain, Feni 69 millimeters, and Dhaka only one millimeter. The low-pressure area over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal has intensified and remains active, extending into West Bengal and nearby regions.

Meteorologist A.K.M. Nazmul Haque stated that while rainfall will continue nationwide until Monday, heavier downpours are expected in the three northern and northeastern divisions, after which conditions may improve.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) has reported that although river levels across Bangladesh have risen due to continuous heavy rainfall, there is no risk of major flooding in the coming days. Assistant Engineer Partha Pratim Barua said on Thursday evening that the situation remains under control, particularly as the haor region’s rice harvest has already been completed. The agency has now shifted its focus to monitoring river conditions nationwide.

According to the FFWC’s Thursday review, water levels increased at 72 of 127 monitored stations, decreased at 45, and remained unchanged at 8. Heavy to very heavy rainfall was recorded in Mymensingh, Rangpur, and Dhaka divisions, while moderate to heavy rain occurred in India’s Meghalaya and Sikkim regions. The Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Ganges, and Padma rivers are all flowing below danger levels and are expected to remain stable for the next five days.

The forecast also indicates that northeastern rivers such as Someshwari, Jadukata, Manu, Dhalai, and Khowai may see rising water levels over the next three days, but overall conditions are expected to stay manageable.

At least 56 people have died across India’s Uttar Pradesh state following a severe storm, lightning, and unseasonal heavy rain that struck overnight on Wednesday. The worst-hit districts include Prayagraj, Bhadohi, Fatehpur, and Pratapgarh, where trees were uprooted, electric poles collapsed, and hundreds of homes were damaged. The state government held an emergency meeting led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who directed officials to deliver relief and compensation within 24 hours.

According to official data, Prayagraj recorded 17 deaths, Bhadohi 16, Fatehpur 9, Badaun 5, and Pratapgarh 4, with additional casualties reported in Chandauli, Kushinagar, Sonbhadra, Kanpur Dehat, and Deoria. Rescue and relief operations are ongoing in affected areas, where power outages and blocked roads have disrupted normal life. Agricultural losses are feared, particularly in wheat and vegetable fields inundated by rainwater.

Meteorologists described the storm as unusually intense for this season in northern India, suggesting that climate change may be contributing to more extreme weather events. Authorities have urged residents to remain cautious and avoid taking shelter under trees or in open spaces during storms.

At least 33 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, India, following a severe storm accompanied by heavy rain and lightning, according to officials on May 14, 2026. The worst-affected districts include Bhadohi, Fatehpur, and Budaun, with additional casualties reported in Chandauli and Sonbhadra. Authorities confirmed that Bhadohi recorded 16 deaths, Fatehpur nine, Budaun five, Chandauli two, and Sonbhadra one.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to provide compensation to the affected families and complete relief operations within 24 hours. In Bhadohi, Additional District Magistrate Kunwar Birendra Kumar Maurya reported widespread damage, including uprooted trees, fallen electric poles, and damaged houses. The storm also disrupted mobile networks, hampering rescue and recovery efforts.

Police in Bhadohi stated on social media that 16 people died in separate incidents, while six others were injured, two of them critically. Relief and restoration work is ongoing across the affected areas.

At least 90 people have been killed in a severe storm accompanied by hail and lightning across Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. The storm uprooted trees and billboards, damaged electricity poles, and destroyed hundreds of homes. According to a state relief official, several deaths occurred when trees and walls collapsed, though no immediate details of rescue operations were provided. Police said early Thursday that administrative officials were inspecting the affected areas.

The storm also disrupted air traffic at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi after rainfall hit parts of the capital. Government data showed that Prayagraj reported 17 deaths, Bhadohi 16, Fatehpur 9, Badaun 5, and Pratapgarh 4, while two people each died in Chandauli and Kushinagar, and one in Sonbhadra. Separate lightning incidents were also reported in Kanpur Dehat and Deoria.

Authorities are continuing to assess the extent of damage and losses across the state as relief efforts proceed.

The education program at BKMS Secondary School in Kulbaria village under Atlia Union of Dumuria upazila, Khulna, has been shut down due to pressure from nearby brick kiln owners. The school, established in 2005 and located about five kilometers from Kathaltala Bazar, has not held classes for two years. Because of the closure, students from four surrounding villages—Bagachra, Kulbaria, Murabunia, and Sundarbunia—must now travel five to six kilometers to attend other schools.

Within one kilometer of the school, five brick kilns operate along the Ghengrile River under Water Development Board’s 17/2 polder area. Despite previous raids and fines by the Department of Environment, the kilns continue production, causing severe air pollution, soil degradation, and health problems for residents. Locals allege that toxic smoke and heavy vehicle movement have made the area unsafe, while farmland and fisheries have suffered.

Local authorities, including the union parishad chairman and the upazila executive officer, have pledged to investigate and take action to protect the school and enforce environmental laws, which prohibit brick kilns within one kilometer of educational institutions.

Bangladesh has approved the long-anticipated Padma Barrage project, marking a major step toward fulfilling a six-decade-old vision. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman, granted final approval for the first phase of the 2.1-kilometer barrage at Pangsha in Rajbari. The project, costing Tk 344.97 billion, will run from July 2026 to June 2033 and be fully funded by the government. It aims to conserve water during the dry season and prevent desertification across vast areas of the country.

According to the Planning Commission, the Water Resources Ministry proposed the project, to be implemented by the Bangladesh Water Development Board. The barrage will store about 2,900 million cubic meters of water, reviving five rivers and improving irrigation for 2.9 million hectares of farmland. Expected benefits include increased rice and fish production and significant socio-economic gains. Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anny stated that no discussions with India are required for the project.

Experts believe the barrage will help mitigate water scarcity, salinity, and siltation problems in the southwest, ensuring sustainable freshwater supply and supporting regional agriculture and ecology.

Bangladesh’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre has warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall could worsen flood conditions in the country’s northeastern haor region, despite recent improvements. The alert, issued on Wednesday evening, noted that rising water levels in rivers across Netrokona, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, and Sunamganj districts could lead to renewed flooding, particularly in the Meghna basin.

According to the center’s latest bulletin, water levels in the Brahmaputra River have risen while the Jamuna’s have fallen, both remaining below danger levels and expected to continue for the next five days. The Ganges-Padma rivers are also stable and below danger levels. However, heavy rainfall has been recorded in Rangpur, Sylhet, and Mymensingh divisions, as well as in India’s Meghalaya and Sikkim regions, with forecasts of continued heavy rain over the next three days.

The center added that water levels in several rivers, including the Surma-Kushiyara, Dhanua-Baulai, and Bhugai-Kangsa, may rise in the coming days, potentially worsening conditions in low-lying haor areas.

Two farmers were killed by lightning strikes within a span of ninety minutes in Chatmohar upazila of Pabna district on Wednesday. The second victim, identified as Auwal Farazi Torab, aged 55, from Bongram Paschim Chakpara village under Parshadangha Union, died on the spot when lightning struck him around 4 p.m. while returning home from Dikshibil with harvested paddy. The incident was confirmed by former union chairman Robiul Karim Tarek.

Earlier the same day, around 2:30 p.m., another farmer named Robban Ali from Maheshpur village in Mulgram Union died in a separate lightning strike. Both incidents occurred during a nor'wester storm that swept through the area, causing sudden weather changes and fatalities among local farmers.

The consecutive lightning deaths highlight the recurring danger faced by rural agricultural workers during seasonal storms in the region.

Severe flooding has hit Haluaghat upazila in Mymensingh following heavy rainfall and flash floods from the Indian Garo Hills. Rising water levels in local rivers have inundated several unions, leaving thousands of residents trapped and causing extensive damage to homes and farmland. The situation worsened after continuous overnight rain caused the Menongchari River in India to overflow into Bangladesh’s Boraghat River, breaching embankments and flooding nearby villages.

At least six villages in Gazirvita Union are reported to be underwater, with crops such as boro paddy, peanuts, maize, and other seasonal produce submerged. Farmers fear severe losses if the water does not recede soon. Residents said the water rose rapidly overnight, forcing many to move belongings to higher ground as homes were flooded and daily life disrupted.

Flood pressure is reportedly highest in Kaliyani Kanda and Boalmara areas, where roads are submerged and communication severely hampered. Attempts to reach the Haluaghat Upazila Nirbahi Officer for comment were unsuccessful.