Two people were killed by lightning strikes in Netrokona district on Sunday morning during rainfall. According to local residents and police sources, the victims were Jamal Munshi, a 55-year-old farmer from Sapmara village, and Sabuj Mia, a 53-year-old CNG driver from Kutubpur village, both in Sadar upazila.

Officer-in-Charge Md Al Mamun Sarkar of Netrokona Model Police Station confirmed the incident and said that an unnatural death case has been filed. Netrokona Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Mushfiqur Rahman stated that the government has provided Tk 20,000 in immediate financial assistance to each bereaved family for burial and funeral expenses.

The local administration’s prompt response aims to support the affected families following the sudden lightning tragedy.

Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam announced that the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant will begin supplying electricity to Bangladesh’s national grid by the end of August 2026. He made the statement in parliament while responding to a question from a ruling party member representing Jamalpur-3. The minister said the plant is currently in the commissioning and start-up phase, which is the final and most complex stage before commercial power generation.

According to Anam, fuel loading for Unit-1 began on April 28, 2026, under Stage-B of the project. Ongoing activities include reactor fuel installation, boric acid addition, reactor and primary circuit testing, safety verification, and subcriticality tests. The next steps involve bringing the reactor to a critical state, conducting integrated control and safety system tests, and gradually increasing reactor power from 10–12 percent to 35–40 percent for technical evaluations.

The minister expressed optimism about the project’s progress, stating that after all tests and commissioning are completed, the generator will be synchronized with the national grid approximately 114 days after fuel loading, initially supplying around 300 megawatts of electricity.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) regional team has successfully completed its mission in Bangladesh to review the Climate Resilient Infrastructure Mainstreaming (CRIM) project and the Climate Resilient Local Infrastructure Center (CReLIC) implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). The mission took place from June 6 to 12, 2026, and included meetings with representatives from various ministries, departments, and agencies of the Government of Bangladesh. The team also held discussions with the Satkhira district administration and visited project sites.

Led by GCF Regional Manager Ms. Diane Jegam and Climate Investment Principal Dr. Bapon Fakhruddin, the delegation discussed climate finance, investment opportunities, new project development, pipeline expansion, and future cooperation. During field visits on June 9 and 10, the team observed climate adaptation activities, livelihood improvement initiatives, and disaster-resilient infrastructure in coastal areas.

Officials noted that the CRIM project is playing a vital role in improving living standards and enhancing disaster resilience in climate-vulnerable coastal regions. The GCF mission is expected to support the expansion of future climate finance and development cooperation.

Acting Managing Director of Islami Bank, Altaf Hossain, announced that customer service quality will improve starting tomorrow despite ongoing liquidity challenges and heavy withdrawal pressure. He made the statement after a meeting with Bangladesh Bank officials, including Governor Mostakur Rahman, where the bank’s liquidity situation and operational stability were discussed. The central bank has provided Islami Bank with cash support for the first time to help maintain normal operations.

Hossain stated that daily withdrawals currently range between Tk 1,100 crore and Tk 1,200 crore, yet efforts continue to ensure uninterrupted service. He said the bank’s current account position is now positive, and internet banking services will soon be fully restored. The acting MD described the chairman appointment issue as political, not managerial, and emphasized that management’s main responsibility is to maintain business and customer service continuity.

In a video message, Hossain apologized for recent service disruptions, assured depositors that their funds are safe, and urged customers not to withdraw more than necessary. He expressed confidence that, with central bank assistance and customer cooperation, the bank will soon return to full normalcy.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Mostakur Rahman held a meeting with senior officials of Islami Bank on Sunday afternoon at the central bank’s headquarters. The meeting began at 4 p.m., confirmed Assistant Spokesperson Shahriar Siddiqui of Bangladesh Bank. According to him, the purpose of the courtesy meeting was to brief the governor on the bank’s current overall situation and the latest updates on its business activities.

A high-level delegation from Islami Bank attended the meeting, led by the bank’s acting Managing Director. The team also included two Additional Managing Directors and six Deputy Managing Directors. The delegation was expected to inform the governor about the bank’s ongoing operational status.

The meeting comes amid continued attention to Islami Bank’s internal and business affairs, as the institution seeks to strengthen its service quality and maintain regulatory communication with Bangladesh Bank.

Multiple illegal structures have reportedly been built on the embankment in Kuakata’s Gangamati area of Dhulasar Union, Patuakhali, allegedly under the protection of local influential figures. A tin-shed house has already been completed near the Dholai Market section, while several other wooden and tin structures are under construction. Locals said the embankment protects the area during natural disasters, and continued encroachment could damage it, threatening public safety and government property.

Residents accused several individuals, including Dhulasar Union Chhatra Dal president Yasin Arafat, Rakib, and Saiful Joardar, of involvement in the illegal occupation and construction. Yasin Arafat denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated. Attempts to contact Rakib and Saiful Joardar were unsuccessful.

Assistant Commissioner (Land) Yasin Sadek stated that the land belongs to the Water Development Board and that necessary legal action and eviction drives will follow once the relevant authority issues a requisition. The Water Development Board’s executive engineer could not be reached for comment.

Four major Iranian banks have been targeted in a cyberattack, according to the country’s Banking Coordination Council. The affected institutions include Bank Melli, Bank Tejarat, Bank Saderat, and the Export Development Bank of Iran. The attack focused on the shared communication infrastructure used by these banks, temporarily disrupting some banking services.

Authorities reported that immediate protective measures were taken following the incident. The council confirmed that hackers did not gain access to customer information and no data was deleted. Efforts are currently underway to fully restore normal operations.

The report, citing Al Jazeera, did not specify the origin of the attack or the extent of the disruption beyond temporary service impacts.

Bangladesh Bank has provided a special loan of Tk 25 billion to Islami Bank to address its liquidity crisis. The assistance was extended on Sunday, according to information from the bank. The crisis intensified after the appointment of a new chairman following Eid, which triggered protests by a group of customers under the banner of the 'Conscious Customer Forum'. Many depositors began withdrawing their funds, worsening the bank’s liquidity position.

As a result, Islami Bank failed to meet customer withdrawal demands and could not maintain the required cash reserve ratio (CRR) with the central bank. Last week, the bank sought Tk 100 billion in liquidity support from Bangladesh Bank, which responded by providing an initial Tk 25 billion. During a post-budget press conference on Friday, Bangladesh Bank Governor Mostakur Rahman had hinted at such support, assuring that depositors would face no withdrawal problems.

The central bank’s intervention aims to stabilize Islami Bank’s operations and restore depositor confidence amid ongoing unrest over leadership changes.

Heavy rainfall and hill runoff have caused the Maharshi River in Sherpur’s Jhenaigati upazila to overflow, flooding low-lying areas and the main market since Saturday morning. Water entered many shops, disrupting business activities and causing hardship for traders and residents. Several roads were submerged, though immediate information on damage was unavailable.

Local residents blamed the absence of a protective embankment for the recurring floods during the monsoon season. Officials from the Water Development Board reported that the river’s southern bank overflowed in the morning but later subsided. Rainfall was recorded at 24.50 millimeters in Sherpur, 35 millimeters in Nalitabari, and 180 millimeters in Nakugaon. In Nalitabari’s Chellakhali River, water was flowing two centimeters above the danger level, raising concerns about worsening conditions.

Member of Parliament Mahmudul Haque Rubel stated that he had raised the issue of constructing a permanent embankment in the national parliament and expressed hope that a sustainable structure would soon be built to reduce public suffering.

Tea growers in Panchagarh are struggling to protect their crops as leafhopper and red mite infestations spread amid a severe fertilizer shortage. The crisis has intensified during the peak leaf-picking season, with farmers unable to apply urea and DAP fertilizers on time due to the absence of allocations for the tea sector across five districts in the Rangpur division.

According to the Bangladesh Tea Board’s 2025 data, the region has over 8,400 small-scale tea gardens producing nearly 9.77 crore kilograms of green leaves annually, contributing more than 21 percent to national tea output. Farmers report that adverse weather has worsened pest attacks and increased production costs, while local agriculture offices say fertilizer allocations for tea fall under the Commerce and Industries ministries, not the Agriculture Department.

Officials from the Bangladesh Tea Board’s Panchagarh office said a request for fertilizer allocation has been sent to the ministries. Tea growers from Rangpur’s five districts have appealed to local administrators and lawmakers for urgent intervention to secure fertilizer and pesticide supplies.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department forecasted light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds in many areas of Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions, and at a few places in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barishal divisions. The 24-hour forecast issued on Sunday morning also warned of moderate to heavy rainfall in some parts of the country.

According to the synoptic situation, an extension of a low-pressure area stretches from Gangetic West Bengal to the northwestern Bay of Bengal. The monsoon is moderately active over Bangladesh and weak to moderate elsewhere over the north Bay. The forecast added that daytime temperatures may fall slightly while nighttime temperatures are expected to remain nearly unchanged.

The highest temperature recorded on Saturday was 36.7 degrees Celsius in Ishwardi, while the lowest on Sunday morning was 22.5 degrees Celsius in Sandwip and Sylhet. Mymensingh experienced the highest rainfall in the past 24 hours with 104 millimeters. In Dhaka, wind speed was 10 to 15 kilometers per hour from the south and southeast, with 88 percent relative humidity at 6 a.m.

The government of Bangladesh has decided to withdraw the tax exemption on income earned from investments in zero coupon bonds issued by banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, or other corporations. The exemption, previously granted under the Sixth Schedule of the Income Tax Act 2023, will no longer apply from the next fiscal year. The Finance Bill 2026 proposes the repeal of the relevant clause, as presented in the National Parliament by Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury. The change also covers zero coupon Islamic certificates.

Alongside this measure, the 20 percent tax on company dividends has been withdrawn, and the rule requiring inclusion of such income in total taxable income for non-corporate taxpayers has been canceled. The Finance Bill 2026 also introduces a new condition for tax rebates on investments in government securities, mutual funds, and similar instruments: investors must now hold investments for the full term to retain the rebate.

Officials explained that the new condition aims to encourage long-term savings and prevent early withdrawals that undermine the purpose of tax incentives.

The Titas River in Brahmanbaria, once known for its abundant water and vibrant waves, is now facing a severe existential crisis due to decades of encroachment and pollution. Field visits revealed that the river is clogged with water hyacinth, surrounded by illegal structures, and filled with waste from nearby markets and households. The lack of waste treatment has led to toxic water conditions, threatening public health and disrupting navigation.

Local residents expressed deep concern over the river’s deterioration, recalling its past economic and cultural significance. They urged authorities to take immediate action to restore the river’s flow and remove illegal occupations. Officials from the Water Development Board acknowledged that while 90 kilometers of the river were dredged in 2023, the urban section was excluded due to earlier navigability. They now plan a coordinated project to save the river and remove encroachments.

The district administration and BIWTA have pledged to demarcate the river’s boundaries based on cadastral surveys and take necessary steps against illegal structures, aiming to restore the Titas to a sustainable state.

The BNP government has announced a national budget of Tk 9.38 trillion for the 2026–27 fiscal year, with Tk 43,335 crore allocated jointly to the agriculture, food, and fisheries and livestock ministries. This represents 0.63 percent of GDP and 3.2 percent of the total budget, a modest rise from the previous year’s Tk 37,126 crore. However, the budget does not specify how much each ministry will receive separately, leaving unclear the exact allocation for agriculture. The author argues that the increase is insufficient given the sector’s challenges and its importance to national food security.

The article highlights that the government’s focus remains on food storage and procurement rather than direct support for farmers. It criticizes the continued emphasis on fertilizer and pesticide subsidies, which benefit chemical companies more than farmers. The piece also notes that recent diesel shortages and untimely rains devastated Boro rice crops, affecting about 200,000 farmers, yet the budget offers no relief measures. The author warns that neglecting agriculture and fisheries endangers food and nutrition security and undermines the livelihoods of millions dependent on these sectors.

Global gold prices have declined sharply even amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran in the Middle East. On January 28, gold reached 5,303 dollars per ounce but dropped to 4,235 dollars by June 12. Analysts attribute the fall to concerns that central banks will not cut interest rates due to persistent inflation, and may even raise them further to control prices.

The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted oil and gas supplies, driving energy prices higher and fueling global inflation. In the United States, inflation has reached a three-year high of 4.2 percent, while a stable labor market has reduced the likelihood of near-term rate cuts. Experts note that gold, which yields no dividends, loses appeal when interest rates and the dollar strengthen.

Reports of a possible US-Iran agreement recently provided slight relief, lifting gold prices marginally. However, analysts caution that even if the war ends, multiple factors will continue to influence gold’s performance in the coming months.