Environmental research group Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) says it found harmful microplastics in 26 of 34 toothpastes sold in Bangladesh. The findings of the year-long study were released at a news conference at the organization’s office on Sunday, July 26. Tests found between 20 and 320 plastic particles per 100 grams of toothpaste among the products examined.

ESDO said the research combined a survey of 2,760 consumers nationwide with scientific testing at Jahangirnagar University’s Department of Environmental Sciences Environmental Health and Ecotoxicology Laboratory. The study used stereomicroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Microplastics were found in 22 of 25 Bangladesh-made products, one of five made in India, one of two made in Thailand, and both products made in Vietnam.

Mediplus Fluoride Gel recorded the highest level, with 320 particles per 100 grams. Four of six toothpastes specially made for children also contained microplastics, including 140 particles in Kudumu Ultra Shield Formula. ESDO said no detectable microplastics were found in Genfresh, Parachute Just for Baby (Mango), Close Up Red Hot Zinc Fresh Technology, or the imported children’s product Kudumu Orange.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Professionals Party has announced a programme to plant 10 million trees nationwide as part of a prime minister-declared plan to plant 250 million trees over five years. The programme, titled Tree Planting Programme-2026, was inaugurated on Friday at Harggram Natunpara Cemetery in Rajshahi by the party’s Rajshahi metropolitan and district branches.

Mahfuzur Rahman Riton, administrator of Rajshahi City Corporation and general secretary of Rajshahi metropolitan BNP, attended as chief guest. Ariful Islam Zia, founding president of the party’s central committee, inaugurated the programme. Later on Friday, the organisation held an introduction and discussion meeting for its newly elected Rajshahi district and metropolitan committees.

At the meeting, lawmaker Advocate Mohammad Shafiqul Haque Milon called on people to work together to build the future Bangladesh under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership. Riton said professional organisation leaders should help implement the prime minister’s 31-point agenda. He also sought public cooperation for city development work, including cleanliness, mosquito control, mud removal, tree planting and greening. The group also held introductory meetings in Manikganj and Pabna on Thursday.

Bangladesh Bank plans to set a maximum amount that a single customer can borrow across the entire banking sector, according to a report published on July 26, 2026. The central bank also intends to prioritize the capital market and bond market over banks for large and long-term financing. The measures aim to restore discipline in banking, reduce lending risks and contain non-performing loans. It has begun seeking views from relevant stakeholders and may issue a circular soon if preparations proceed as planned.

A customer can currently borrow up to 25 percent of an individual bank's capital, but there is no limit covering borrowing from the banking system as a whole. Officials said a sector-wide ceiling would reduce the risk of excessive credit concentration in one borrower. They also cited liquidity pressure created when banks use short- and medium-term deposits to finance long-term projects, producing asset-liability mismatches.

The plan is divided into one-year, two-year and five-year stages. Long-term measures include a borrowing cap across banks, stricter action against willful defaulters, legislation for private asset management companies and instructions to use bond issuance instead of bank loans for financing above Tk1,000 crore. Bankers said implementation should be gradual and alternative financing options should be ensured.

Toxic black waste from industries, factories and nearby residential areas in Chattogram is entering the Halda River through the Katakhali and Bamanshahi canals, according to the report published on July 26, 2026. Monsoon and floodwater are mixing with the waste, turning the river’s clear water dark and black. The pollution is described as a serious threat to brood fish, dolphins, the aquatic environment and biodiversity in the river, identified in the report as Asia’s only natural fish breeding ground.

Residents said foul odours from the black water have made movement difficult in Shikarpur and the Madunaghat Kuwaish College area, while people are suffering from various illnesses. The pollution is occurring during the April to June-July spawning season for brood fish. Egg collectors along the riverbank warned that the Halda could face conditions similar to the Buriganga if the situation continues.

Local residents said industrial and household waste from Bahir Signal, Oxygen and Kulgaon reaches canals through drains before flowing into the river. Professor Dr Manjurul Kibria called for protecting the Halda from toxic waste. The report also cited unplanned sluice gates and embankments across 36 tributary canals, rivers and streams as obstructing natural flow.

The Trump administration has imposed a new 10 percent additional tariff on imports from Bangladesh and 59 other countries under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, citing insufficient action against goods or raw materials produced with forced labor. In an interview published July 26, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Mohammad Hatem said the immediate overall tariff burden had not changed significantly because an earlier 10 percent tariff had expired and was replaced at the same rate.

Hatem said repeated tariff changes over the past 14 months had created uncertainty for businesses. He said Vietnam faces a 12.5 percent tariff, leaving a 2.5 percentage-point gap that could offer Bangladesh some price competitiveness. Competition may become harder against India, Cambodia, Indonesia and several Central American countries, he added. If competitors receive lower tariff rates, buyers could turn to alternative sources and Bangladeshi orders could decline.

The BKMEA president rejected the forced-labor allegation, saying there was no acceptable basis for it in Bangladesh and calling for verification by international bodies. He said the association would ask the United States to reconsider and assess Bangladesh’s situation. Hatem also urged greater production capacity, product quality and diversification, market expansion, lower production costs and action on cotton-use tariff relief in the US market.

China has evacuated more than 20,000 people from its southern region as powerful Super Typhoon Noul rapidly approaches the coast, state media reported, citing AFP. China’s National Meteorological Center said the storm could make landfall in coastal areas from Hong Kong to Guangdong province between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. The weather office maintained its second-highest, orange alert under a four-tier warning system on Saturday.

The meteorological center warned of strong winds and heavy rainfall in parts of Guangdong and neighboring Fujian province. CCTV said that by Friday night, more than 20,000 people in Guangdong had been moved to safe shelters. All fishing vessels at sea were ordered to return to safe ports, and they have returned.

Transport and school activities have also been disrupted. Several train services in Guangdong were suspended on Saturday morning, while all rail services in the province are due to be suspended on Sunday, according to CCTV. Local media said schools in Chaozhou city, Guangdong, were instructed to temporarily halt educational and other activities. Extreme weather has already caused extensive damage in southern and central China this month.

University of Rochester professor Adam Frank and NASA scientist Gavin Schmidt developed the “Silurian Hypothesis” to examine whether an advanced civilization could have existed on Earth before humans and left detectable traces. Their discussion began in 2017, and they published a paper in 2018. The researchers say the project was not intended to prove such a civilization existed, but to identify what subtle evidence scientists should seek if one had existed and disappeared millions of years ago.

The inquiry links Earth’s unusual climate episodes with present-day human-driven warming. About 55 million years ago, during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, carbon emissions were associated with a global temperature increase of up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, though the precise cause remains unknown. Texas Tech University climate researcher Katharine Hayhoe, who was not involved, called the idea a thought experiment that highlights humanity’s potential vulnerability.

The researchers argue that surface structures and fossils may be difficult to preserve because of tectonic shifts, volcanic eruptions and erosion. They therefore consider chemical changes in sedimentary layers as possible evidence. Plastic, synthetic agricultural hormones, toxic chemicals and heavy metals used in electronics could remain as future markers of human civilization. Geologist Jan Zalasiewicz said cities, metal smelting and plastic waste would leave a clear footprint, and rejected the prior existence of a similarly energy-intensive civilization.

Iran says it sold $18 billion worth of oil during its war with the United States and the subsequent ceasefire, according to a report citing Al Jazeera. Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said the revenue from those sales has made a significant contribution to the oil-income target set in the country’s current fiscal-year budget.

Paknejad said proceeds from oil sales have met more than 60 percent of the budget’s planned oil-revenue target for the current fiscal year. He attributed increased Iranian oil exports to a reduction in risks associated with the movement of oil tankers.

The minister also said Iran was able to sell part of its stockpiled crude oil and gas condensate, estimated at about 100 million barrels. The report did not specify the buyers, export destinations, the precise period of the conflict or ceasefire, or a breakdown between crude oil and gas-condensate sales.

Wildfires burning for several days in France and Spain have forced more than 250,000 people to move to safety, according to a report published on July 25. In southwestern France, strong winds are rapidly spreading flames toward Bordeaux, where officials said the fire remained out of control. Residents of seven towns west of Bordeaux were ordered to evacuate urgently on Saturday night.

Nearly 200,000 people have been evacuated from France's Gironde and Landes regions. The French government deployed the military to help contain the crisis, with troops clearing brush and building firebreaks to limit the flames' spread. By Saturday morning, the wildfire was about 40 to 50 kilometres from Bordeaux, while wind carried smoke toward the city and residents reported a strong burning smell.

A state of emergency remains in force in Spain. Improved weather outside Madrid brought some relief to firefighters, but an elderly man in his seventies died in a Valencia-region wildfire and was found inside his car, local media reported. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said difficult times lay ahead. Tourist Spencer Randall, who fled with his family from the fire near Bordeaux, described it as terrifying.

State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Lion Dr Sheikh Faridul Islam warned that strict legal action will be taken against those involved in destroying the Sundarbans, looting forest resources, fishing with poison or carrying out environmentally damaging activities. He made the remarks on July 25 at a daylong citizens’ dialogue in Mongla, Bagerhat, on protecting the Sundarbans and coastal livelihoods for sustainable development.

He said the forest is vital to the livelihoods of millions in southwestern Bangladesh, disaster protection and environmental balance. The minister said action would also be taken if specific evidence links any Forest Department officer or employee to poison fishing. Speakers at the dialogue called for stronger public awareness, strict enforcement of environmental laws and alternative jobs for forest-dependent people.

The minister said wood will not be allowed as fuel in brick kilns and that there are no plans for new coal-based power plants. He said future power generation would prioritize renewable energy, particularly solar and wind. He also said 661 metric tons of rice have been allocated for 8,271 coastal fishing families for the first time.

Students and environmental advocates at Jagannath University have raised concerns after concrete was poured up to the bases of several old trees during modernization and beautification work at the university’s TSC area. The report, published on July 25, 2026, said the construction has prompted fears over the trees’ normal growth and long-term survival.

On-site observations found that concrete had been laid around several trees with almost no exposed soil remaining near their roots. This could obstruct rainwater from entering the soil, limit air circulation, and disrupt the supply of oxygen and nutrients to roots. Students said the campus has only a small number of large trees, which provide shade, comfort and a natural environment, and argued that development should protect them.

Dr. Md. Moniruzzaman of the Geography and Environment Department said trees may be unable to absorb water and mineral salts if soil is absent around their bases, hindering growth and potentially causing death over time. Proctor Professor Dr. Mohammad Nasir Uddin said workers had poured the concrete by mistake and that it would be corrected the following day.

Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department issued local warning signal No. 3 for the seaports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra after a low-pressure area formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal-north Odisha coast. The forecast, published on July 25, said rough seas could bring heavy rain to coastal areas from Sunday night.

The monsoon trough extends from Rajasthan through Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to the low-pressure centre, southern Bangladesh and Assam. The system may move slowly westward and cross the coast. Light to moderate rain is forecast for central areas, including the capital, while northern areas may remain dry initially before rainfall increases after the system crosses the coast.

Meteorologist Tariful Newaz Kabir said the system was unlikely to intensify into a depression and its effects could remain largely confined to coastal districts. Fishing boats and trawlers in the northern Bay of Bengal were advised to stay near the coast and move cautiously. Reduced rainfall has significantly improved the overall flood situation, though the Kushiyara River remains above danger level at two points.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called for greater emphasis on research, innovation and productive activities instead of political debate. Speaking as chief guest at the opening of the 36th Annual Planning Conference 2026 at the Rural Development Academy in Bogura on Saturday, he said research outcomes must reach farmers to raise their incomes and further strengthen the rural economy.

Before the event, the minister visited an RDA-developed green technology exhibition and planted a lotkon sapling. He said research and innovation achievements do not receive adequate attention despite frequent discussions of politics. Technologies developed by researchers can play an important role in increasing farmers’ productivity, he said, urging the media to give wider coverage to such successes.

Alamgir said farmers’ main problem is not production but ensuring fair prices for their goods. He stressed more research to improve cold storage, preservation and marketing systems, alongside encouragement for private investment in those sectors. He also urged young people to pursue agriculture-based enterprises, preservation and marketing rather than focusing only on jobs, saying this would increase employment and benefit farmers.

Bangladesh-based Abul Khair Steel has received Guinness World Records™ recognition for the “Most Steel Rebars Produced in One Minute,” according to a report published on July 25, 2026. Under the stipulated Guinness verification process, AKS produced 52 steel rebars in one minute. Each rebar measured 108 metres in length, the report said.

The company attributed the record to the capability of what it described as the world’s fastest rebar rolling mill, advanced technology, skilled engineering and improved production management. Electric Arc Furnace, or EAF, technology is a core part of AKS’s production system and is used to produce 100% refined steel.

Abul Khair Steel Melting Limited Chief Executive Officer Imran Momin said the achievement was an international recognition of both AKS and Bangladesh’s manufacturing potential. The company also said it uses Zero Water Discharge technology to treat and reuse industrial water, alongside solar power, a Fume Treatment System for emission control, material recycling and an in-house power plant for energy management.

Veteran South Asian singer and composer Runa Laila performed her first solo concert at the main auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, on the evening of July 24. Although she had sung at the academy two or three times during her 62-year professional music career, this was her first appearance there for a solo musical programme.

Culture Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, State Minister Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam, academy Director General Sheikh Rezauddin Stalin and Secretary Mohammad Zakir Hossain presented her with an honourary memento. Hosted by actor Afzal Hossain, the programme featured about 10 modern, film and patriotic songs over roughly an hour and a half, including a Nazrul song performed in observance of Nazrul anniversary.

Laila opened with a song dedicated to those who gave their lives for the country and ended the evening with “Damadom Mast Kalandar.” She said audiences’ love, respect and prayers were the greatest achievements of her musical life. Organisers said all ticket-sale proceeds would be deposited in the Prime Minister’s Relief and Welfare Fund to support flood-affected people.