A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck the South Salmara Mankachar area of Assam, India, on Saturday afternoon, according to Volcano Discovery. The tremor occurred at 2:40 p.m. local time, with its epicenter located about 34 kilometers from Dhubri town. The quake’s effects were felt across several northern districts of Bangladesh.

Preliminary reports indicate that the depth of the earthquake has not yet been determined, though it is believed to have been shallow. Shallow earthquakes are typically felt more strongly near their epicenters. Residents in both Assam and northern Bangladesh reported feeling the tremor shortly after it occurred.

No immediate reports of casualties or damage have been received following the earthquake, according to initial information available from the region.

Residents of northern Bangladesh remain frustrated as the long-promised Teesta River Master Plan continues to face delays despite repeated political commitments. The river, vital to the livelihoods of millions across eight northern districts, has suffered from erosion, water scarcity, and seasonal flooding due to India’s upstream control and dam operations. Although successive governments pledged to implement the Teesta project, none have delivered tangible progress, leaving local communities disillusioned.

The previous interim government initiated renewed discussions with China to implement a 12,000-crore-taka, ten-year project, with partial funding expected from Chinese loans. However, bureaucratic hurdles and slow loan disbursement have stalled progress. Local residents, losing faith in official assurances, launched the “Jago Bahe Teesta Bachai” movement demanding immediate action. The movement later gained political traction under the current government, which again promised implementation.

As monsoon season approaches, fears of flooding intensify due to rising water pressure at India’s Gajoldoba Barrage. While Bangladesh’s Water Development Board reports no immediate flood risk, residents remain anxious, hoping the long-delayed project will finally begin to secure their livelihoods.

An oil spill has been detected off the coast of Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export terminal. According to the Associated Press, satellite images taken early last week showed the slick before new US strikes on Iranian ships and coastal targets on Thursday and Friday. The spill was first identified on Tuesday near the island’s shoreline.

Marine intelligence firm Windward AI reported that by Friday, the oil slick had spread across approximately 71 square kilometers (27.4 square miles). The US Department of Defense has declined to comment on any recent attacks in the area, and the exact source of the spill remains undetermined.

The incident raises environmental and geopolitical concerns, as Kharg Island is central to Iran’s oil export operations, but no official explanation or response has yet been provided regarding the cause or potential impact of the spill.

Several days of continuous rainfall in Rampal upazila of Bagerhat have caused harvested paddy left in the fields to sprout prematurely. Farmers are facing severe losses as the unseasonal rain has soaked the crops, making it difficult to dry and store them properly. Many are worried they will not recover their production costs, with some unable to bring their harvest home before it began to germinate.

Local farmers explained that the rain began suddenly at the end of the harvesting season, leaving them no time to collect their crops. In many areas, cut paddy remains submerged under water, and seedlings are emerging from the ears. Some farmers are attempting to dry the wet paddy beside roads, but threshing remains impossible until it fully dries. Labor shortages have further delayed harvesting, worsening the damage.

Rampal’s agriculture officer, Md. Insad Ibne Amin, advised farmers to collect and store their paddy in dry places and said that a list of affected farmers is being prepared for possible assistance. Farmers have urged the government to ensure emergency financial support to overcome the crisis.

Indonesia’s Mount Dukono volcano in North Maluku province erupted on Friday morning at 7:41 a.m. local time, killing three people, including two foreign nationals and one local resident. Authorities reported that at least 20 climbers remain trapped on the mountain, prompting an ongoing rescue operation. Five others were injured in the eruption, and the victims include two Singaporean citizens, according to local officials.

Police Chief Erlichson Pasaribu confirmed the fatalities, while local rescue agency head Iwan Ramdhani told Reuters that efforts are continuing to locate and evacuate the trapped climbers. Among those stranded are nine Singaporeans and several Indonesian nationals. The eruption sent volcanic ash up to 10 kilometers into the sky, leading authorities to issue the third-highest alert level for the volcano.

Rescue teams are working under challenging conditions as ash clouds and unstable terrain complicate access to the affected area, according to officials cited by BBC and Reuters.

Mohammad Shahjahan, Member of Parliament for Noakhali-4 (Sadar-Subarnachar), announced efforts to protect local residents from river erosion and natural disasters. Speaking on Wednesday at the inauguration of protective work along the Meghna River in Char Clark Union and Katakhali Ghat, he said temporary measures using geo-bags are being implemented in high-risk areas to prevent major losses during the upcoming monsoon. He added that permanent solutions, including block systems, will be introduced later to control the river and safeguard nearby communities.

The event was chaired by district Water Development Board executive engineer S M Refat Jamil and attended by several local political leaders. Due to intensified erosion in recent months, most of Katakhali Ghat has already been washed away. In response to local demands, emergency protection work covering about 350 feet of riverbank has been launched using geo-bags and geo-tubes.

Shahjahan stated that larger projects will be undertaken in the future to strengthen riverbank protection in surrounding areas.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre reported that water levels in seven rivers across three districts in Bangladesh’s northeastern haor basin were flowing above the pre-monsoon danger level as of Thursday morning, May 7, 2026. The affected rivers include those in Netrokona, Sunamganj, and Habiganj districts, with eight monitoring stations recording elevated levels. Moderate to heavy rainfall was observed in the past 24 hours, including 65 millimeters in Durgapur, 45 millimeters in Jariajhanjail, and 62 millimeters in Brahmanbaria.

According to the agency, the Nalojur River in Sunamganj rose by 2 centimeters to flow 51 centimeters above the danger level, while several rivers in Netrokona, including the Dhalai-Baulai, Someshwari, Bhogai-Kangsha, and Mogra, showed varying changes in water height. In Habiganj, the Kalni and Sutang rivers also rose slightly. However, water levels in Sunamganj’s haor region were reported to be slowly receding at a rate of up to 1 centimeter per hour.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department forecast scattered rainfall over the next five days, with no heavy downpour expected, though rainfall activity may increase afterward.

A tall boundary wall is being built inside the reserved forest area of Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, reportedly under a UNDP project funded by the World Bank. The wall, estimated to be about 10 feet high and roughly 1,000 feet in circumference, is being constructed near the 26 No. Shalbagan Rohingya camp in the Muchhni Beat area. Officials involved said the project aims to improve waste management for the camp, but local residents and forest officials fear it will severely harm the forest ecosystem and wildlife movement.

According to the Forest Department, the Teknaf range is home to around 286 species of wildlife, including monkeys, foxes, bears, elephants, and reptiles. Researchers and local forest guards warned that the new structure could further endanger biodiversity already under pressure from human settlement and deforestation. The divisional forest officer confirmed he was unaware of the project’s approval and cautioned that such construction could cause serious ecological damage.

Environmental experts stressed that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should have been conducted before any construction in the protected forest to prevent long-term harm to wildlife and natural habitats.

Continuous rainfall, nor'wester storms, and flash floods from upstream have caused extensive crop damage worth about Tk 340 crore in the haor regions of Habiganj district. The most affected crop is Boro paddy, the main source of livelihood for local farmers. According to the district’s Department of Agricultural Extension, over 11,000 hectares of Boro fields have been submerged, with many completely destroyed and others partially damaged.

Officials reported that Boro paddy was cultivated on 123,644 hectares this season, of which around 62 percent had been harvested before the flooding. The remaining fields were inundated by sudden rain and floodwaters, worsening the situation in Azmiriganj, Baniachong, Lakhai, Nabiganj, and Bahubal upazilas. Breaches in embankments along the Khowai and Korangi rivers have intensified the flooding, leaving vast farmlands underwater and farmers in despair.

The agricultural department has prepared a preliminary list of about 21,000 affected farmers, though locals claim the actual number is higher. Officials fear that if the water does not recede soon, the losses could increase further.

Infrared imaging data collected this year indicate that the flames inside Turkmenistan’s Darvaza gas crater, known as the ‘Door to Hell,’ have weakened significantly. The monitoring organization Capterio found that the fire’s heat intensity has dropped by more than 75 percent over the past three years. The crater, located in the Karakum Desert about four hours from Ashgabat, has burned continuously for decades and remains a popular attraction for adventurous tourists.

Turkmenistan’s government has long sought to extinguish the fire, citing environmental and health concerns. A 2024 publication from the Turkmen Energy Forum stated that two wells were drilled near the crater to extract natural gas, which officials linked to the reduced flames. However, Capterio’s analysis suggests the decline began before the drilling, leaving open the possibility of natural causes.

The site emits methane gas, averaging about 1,300 kilograms per hour between 2022 and 2025, according to Carbon Mapper. Scientists note that while the fire converts methane into less harmful carbon dioxide, the flames are unlikely to extinguish completely soon.

Vast haor areas across Sunamganj, Habiganj, Netrakona, and Kishoreganj have been severely affected by sudden floods and prolonged waterlogging during the boro harvest season. The flooding submerged ripe paddy fields, destroying the only annual crop for many farmers. The article questions why sustainable solutions remain elusive despite recurring disasters and highlights that the crisis extends beyond individual losses to threaten national food security.

The report explains that haor agriculture is entirely dependent on natural cycles, making it highly vulnerable to upstream water surges, untimely rains, and climate change. It stresses that the damage to boro crops could disrupt the rice market, raise prices, and increase hardship for low-income households. The author urges the government to declare the affected areas as disaster zones to enable rapid relief, debt rescheduling, and distribution of seeds, fertilizers, and cash support.

The article further calls for regional water management cooperation, institutional accountability, and a context-specific agricultural policy. It warns that without transparency and effective oversight in embankment projects, recurring failures will persist, endangering both farmers’ livelihoods and national food stability.

A workshop on disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities was held in Khulna with financial support from the Government of Japan and the World Food Programme (WFP), and implemented by the organization Sushilon. The event took place on Tuesday at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Khulna’s Deputy Director (Local Government) and Acting Deputy Commissioner Md. Ariful Islam attended as chief guest, while other officials from the district administration, WFP, and local organizations participated.

During the experience-sharing session, the guests emphasized strengthening future DRR initiatives through greater public participation and extending project timelines. They also highlighted the need to incorporate local contexts into planning and to enhance the capacity of Union Disaster Management Committees (UDMCs). Participants included government officials, engineers from LGED and the Water Development Board, UDMC members, contractors, journalists, and Sushilon staff.

Sushilon has been implementing various initiatives under the DRR program to improve the disaster resilience of coastal communities in Khulna. The project is executed at the field level by UDMCs with technical support from the Upazila Taskforce Committee.

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) conducted an eviction drive in Anwara upazila of Chattogram to remove illegal structures along the Karnaphuli Tunnel six-lane connecting road. The operation began at 10 a.m. on Tuesday under the supervision of Executive Magistrate Razia Akter Chowdhury. According to RHD, the drive is part of a seven-kilometer road development project stretching from Chatri Chaumuhani Bazar to the Marine Academy.

The project, implemented at a cost of Tk 78 crore, includes the construction of a 1,200-foot-long and six-foot-wide RCC drain to address waterlogging in the market area. During the operation, RHD officials stated that the eviction was necessary to accelerate the ongoing road improvement work. Several senior engineers and officials from the Chattogram South District Road Division were present during the drive.

The initiative aims to ensure smoother progress of the infrastructure project and improve drainage and traffic conditions along the key connecting route.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has issued a five-day forecast predicting light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by gusty or squally winds and lightning in eight divisions of the country. The forecast, effective from 9 a.m. Tuesday for the next 120 hours, indicates that Rangpur, Khulna, Mymensingh, Barishal, and Sylhet divisions may experience rain in several areas, while Rajshahi, Dhaka, and Chattogram divisions may see similar weather in a few places.

According to the department’s statement, a low-pressure area is currently present, with its extension stretching from West Bengal to the northern Bay of Bengal. The system is expected to influence weather patterns across the country during the forecast period.

The forecast also mentions the possibility of moderately heavy rainfall in some parts of the country, suggesting localized variations in intensity over the coming days.

In Brahmanbaria’s Nasirnagar upazila, floodwaters have submerged 305 hectares of Boro paddy fields, including those in Medi Haor. The incident occurred as water levels rose sharply over the past two days, damaging newly planted crops. Although the weather improved on Tuesday with clear skies and sunshine, farmers are still facing a shortage of laborers for harvesting and drying their crops.

According to the upazila agriculture department, Boro paddy was cultivated on 11,000 hectares in Nasirnagar this season. About 70 percent of the crop was harvested before the early floodwaters arrived, but more than a thousand farmers have suffered losses. Many farmers said they had cultivated their land with borrowed money at high interest rates and now face severe financial hardship after losing their crops.

Officials stated that a list of affected farmers is being prepared. During the ongoing Boro harvest season, priority and relief assistance will be provided to those who have suffered the most damage.