Bangladesh’s Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir announced an increase in edible oil prices on Wednesday during a press conference at the ministry’s conference room. The price of bottled soybean oil has been raised by four taka per liter, from 195 to 199 taka, while loose soybean oil will now sell for 179 taka per liter, up from 175 taka.

The minister explained that the adjustment reflects global market conditions, as product prices at the source have risen worldwide. He expressed hope that consumers would understand the decision in light of the global situation and that the supply situation in the domestic market would become more stable as a result.

The announcement highlights the government’s effort to align domestic pricing with international cost pressures while maintaining supply stability in the edible oil market.

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury announced that promising export sectors such as gold and diamond industries will receive the same facilities as the ready-made garment sector. He made the statement on Wednesday at the 46th meeting of the National Board of Revenue’s advisory committee, jointly organized by the NBR and FBCCI at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

The minister said that while Bangladesh’s garment industry has achieved remarkable success, other sectors like gold and diamond remain underdeveloped. From now on, any promising export sector that submits a proposal will be granted equal benefits. He emphasized that fear of theft should not restrict business opportunities, and that corruption and inefficiency at ports will be addressed separately. He also highlighted the government’s focus on reforming the fragile economy through a large, quality budget aimed at poverty reduction and investment growth.

Chowdhury added that revenue collection will be strengthened through full digitization and the “One Citizen One Card” system to reduce direct contact between taxpayers and officials, thereby curbing corruption. He urged business associations to help bring untaxed entities into the tax network and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to democratizing the economy.

Extensive farmlands in various areas of Kaliakoir upazila in Gazipur have been submerged due to continuous rainfall, leaving local farmers in severe distress. According to local sources, four days of rain combined with hill runoff from the north have flooded low-lying areas, damaging crops at the start of the Irri-Boro season. Many farmers have been forced to harvest half-ripe paddy early, while others have seen their fields completely submerged.

Farmers from villages such as Rashidpur and Medi Ashulai reported that large portions of their paddy fields are underwater, with some waiting for the water to recede to prevent total crop loss. Abdul Malek of Rashidpur said nearly two bighas of his land are submerged, while another farmer, Mostafa, noted he had to harvest prematurely to save what he could.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Zahid Hasan stated that the situation is being closely monitored and that farmers are being advised to harvest their crops quickly to minimize damage.

French energy company TotalEnergies has announced the restart of operations at the SATORP oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. The facility had been shut down as a precaution after sustaining damage during an Iranian attack on April 8. According to the company, operations resumed on April 14, and the refinery is now running at a capacity of 230,000 barrels per day.

TotalEnergies stated that three units of the refinery were damaged in the incident, prompting a full shutdown for safety reasons. The unaffected units have since been brought back online. The refinery is jointly owned by Saudi Aramco, holding 62.5 percent, and TotalEnergies, with 37.5 percent.

The attack occurred amid ongoing regional tensions in the Middle East, targeting one of the area’s key energy installations. The resumption of operations marks a significant step toward restoring stability in Saudi Arabia’s oil production network.

In Dingapota Haor of Mohanganj upazila, Netrokona, ripe boro paddy fields have gone underwater after continuous heavy rain and water inflow from Sunamganj caused a breach in the haor protection embankment. The harvesting season had begun in early April, but the sudden flooding has submerged large portions of the crop.

Local farmers reported that this year’s yield was abundant, with most fields planted with BRRI-88 rice variety producing 8–10 maunds per katha. However, due to torrential rain and poor road conditions, they were unable to harvest in time. Farmers expressed frustration that despite successive governments, no sustainable embankment or road improvement has been implemented in the haor area.

According to the Mohanganj Agriculture Extension Office, boro rice is cultivated on 6,000–7,000 hectares in Dingapota Haor each year, producing over 6–7 metric tons per hectare. Farmers estimate that more than 50 percent of this year’s crop is now submerged.

Continuous rainfall and upstream water flow caused a dam to collapse in the Bolai River area of Chamardani Union, Madhyanagar upazila, Sunamganj. The breach allowed floodwater to inundate vast boro paddy fields in Jinaria Haor, destroying the year-long efforts of more than fifty farmers who had temporarily settled there for cultivation. The incident occurred on Thursday morning following days of heavy rain and strong water pressure.

Local farmers said they had left their permanent homes and lived for six months in temporary settlements near the haor to grow crops. Many endured hardships, including halting their children's education, to sustain their livelihoods. After the dam broke, their crops and investments were lost under water. One farmer said he had cultivated the land with great effort but lost everything, while another reported that his 20 kathas of land were submerged before harvest.

According to the upazila agriculture sub-assistant officer, 26 hectares of land were under cultivation in Jinaria Haor, of which 8 hectares were already waterlogged before the breach, and an additional 3 hectares went underwater afterward.

Chattogram city experienced severe waterlogging again on Wednesday morning following heavy rain. By 1 p.m., knee-deep water was reported at Probortok Moor, where roads were empty of vehicles and pedestrians. Shops were partially flooded, and some owners stood helplessly by their half-closed shutters. Only a few rickshaws and motorcycles attempted to move through the water, often stalling mid-road.

The flooding extended beyond Probortok Moor to nearby areas including Muradpur, Soloshahar, Bahaddarhat, Chawk Bazar, and Katalganj. Residents reported water entering ground floors and kitchens, disrupting daily life. A business owner said his warehouse goods worth several lakh taka were damaged without insurance or compensation. Locals expressed frustration over recurring inundation and the lack of a permanent solution.

Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain stated that the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) is responsible for the waterlogging mitigation project, though he feels a moral duty to stand by citizens during such crises.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed regret to the residents of Chattogram for the ongoing waterlogging problem in the city. Speaking in the National Parliament on Wednesday, he responded to a point of order raised by Chattogram–10 MP Saeed Al Noman, who described the city’s severe flooding and urged immediate government action. The Prime Minister acknowledged the suffering of residents and said efforts were underway to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Rahman noted that waterlogging was not limited to Chattogram but affected other parts of the country, including Dhaka. He recalled that former President Ziaur Rahman had previously addressed such problems through canal excavation and reservoir creation, and said the current government had resumed similar initiatives. He emphasized that public awareness was crucial, as indiscriminate dumping of plastic and waste continued to block canals and drains despite cleaning efforts.

The Prime Minister also addressed concerns about heavy rainfall in haor regions, assuring that affected farmers in several districts would receive government assistance over the next three months.

Iran’s economy faces prolonged pressure if disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue, prompting Tehran to look northward toward Russia for economic cooperation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, praising Moscow’s support and discussing the Hormuz situation and sanctions. Bilateral trade reached about 4.8 billion dollars in 2024, a 16 percent increase since 2018, mainly involving grain, metals, machinery, and fertilizers, though economists note the relationship remains limited.

The two countries are connected through the International North–South Transport Corridor, linking Russia to Asia via Iran and the Caspian Sea. Experts say this route offers partial relief but cannot replace the scale and speed of maritime trade through Hormuz. Nearly 90 percent of Iran’s trade depends on sea routes, making a full shift to land transport costly and inefficient.

Analysts believe Russia can provide short-term assistance but is unlikely to become a full economic lifeline for Iran due to its own sanctions and war-related pressures.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told parliament that the government’s Family Card program is a form of state investment aimed at strengthening local industries and creating employment. Responding to questions from lawmakers, he said the initiative would gradually cover 40 million families, starting with vulnerable groups, and would not cause inflationary pressure. The prime minister emphasized that the program’s spending would circulate within the domestic economy, benefiting rural markets and local manufacturers.

Lawmakers raised concerns about the program’s financial scale, estimating annual costs of up to 1.34 trillion taka including processing expenses, and questioned whether funds would be diverted from existing social safety programs. Rahman replied that the government’s calculations show no major budgetary strain, as overlapping benefits in current welfare schemes would be streamlined.

He added that the Family Card recipients typically purchase essential, locally made goods, ensuring that the funds support domestic production rather than imports. According to him, this approach will help reduce inflation while promoting local industrialization and employment growth.

In Dirai upazila of Sunamganj, heavy rainfall has submerged 600 hectares of ripe paddy fields during the current harvesting season. According to the Upazila Agriculture Extension Department, the total cultivated area in the region is 30,178 hectares, with 16,738 hectares currently under standing crops. On Tuesday, the area recorded 30 millimeters of rainfall, which led to waterlogging in many fields.

Farmers reported that the excessive rain caused water accumulation in the fields before the paddy had fully matured, preventing harvesting machines from entering the waterlogged areas. Additionally, a shortage of laborers has made it difficult for farmers to harvest the ripe paddy in time. A farmer from Bharam Haor in Sarmangal Union expressed distress, saying most of his land is underwater and that drying harvested paddy has become impossible due to lack of sunlight and drying space.

The situation has raised concerns about potential crop losses and food insecurity among local farmers if the water does not recede soon.

False claims alleging that the United States is 'stealing clouds' in the Middle East have spread widely on social media amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel and Iran conflict. Iraqi lawmaker Abdullah al-Khaikani told Al-Rashid TV that the U.S. was using aircraft to break and steal clouds, suggesting recent rains in Iraq returned because the U.S. was distracted by war. However, he provided no evidence to support his statements.

Iraq’s meteorological department dismissed the allegations as unscientific, noting that forecasts had already predicted a rainy year. Scientists and climate experts emphasized that no existing technology can steal or control clouds. They explained that cloud seeding—a weather modification method used in several countries—can only slightly increase rainfall from existing clouds. Experts from institutions including Khalifa University, Wyoming University, and the UN University stressed that climate change, not manipulation, is driving extreme weather in the region.

Researchers warned that misinformation thrives amid uncertainty and water insecurity, as people seek simple explanations for complex climate phenomena.

The government of Bangladesh will provide three months of assistance to farmers in the haor region who have suffered losses due to recent natural disasters and hailstorms. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced the decision in the National Parliament on Wednesday afternoon, April 29, 2026.

The announcement followed a proposal made the previous day by Fazlur Rahman, Member of Parliament for Kishoreganj-4, who urged the formation of a separate 'Haor Ministry' covering 35 districts to improve the livelihoods of people in the disaster-affected haor areas. He described the severe hardship faced by farmers whose single annual crop has been destroyed by heavy rain and hail, leaving them dependent on others for food and clothing throughout the year.

The Prime Minister’s statement indicates immediate government attention to the crisis, while the proposal for a dedicated ministry suggests a possible long-term institutional response to recurring natural disasters in the haor region.

Water levels in two major rivers of Netrokona district have risen above the danger mark, according to local authorities on April 29, 2026. The Bhugai-Kangsha River was flowing 82 centimeters above the danger level at the Jaria-Jhanjail point, while the Someshwari River was 50 centimeters and the Magra River 2 centimeters above the danger level. The Water Development Board confirmed that 68 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in Jaria-Jhanjail and 55 millimeters in Durgapur.

The district’s agriculture department reported that in the current season, 21,065 hectares of land in Kolmakanda have been cultivated with Boro paddy, including 4,630 hectares in the haor areas. As of noon on the reporting day, only 45 percent of the paddy had been harvested. Heavy rainfall has already submerged 600 hectares of ripe paddy fields.

Officials are monitoring the situation closely as rising river levels and continued rainfall pose risks to unharvested crops in the low-lying haor regions.

Heavy rain and stormy weather have affected Bangladesh since early morning on April 29, 2026, with continuous rainfall in Dhaka and coastal districts in the south. The Meteorological Department has issued warnings for heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and possible landslides in hilly areas. Maritime ports have been advised to hoist signal number three, while river ports have been placed under signal number one. Ferry and launch services on the Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes were suspended from 6 a.m. due to strong winds and heavy rain.

Meteorologists Dr. Omar Faruk and Dr. Bazlur Rashid described the situation as disastrous, urging public caution against lightning strikes. Rainfall data show Bhola recorded the highest at 152 millimeters, followed by Feni, Srimangal, and Comilla. The weather office forecasts continued rain until May 3, with the possibility of temporary waterlogging and landslides in Chattogram. The Bay of Bengal remains rough due to pressure differences, prompting warnings for fishing boats to stay near the coast.

Temperatures are expected to drop further nationwide as the low-pressure system persists, ending the recent heatwave that had gripped several regions.