The water level of the Jamuneswari River flowing through Taraganj and Badarganj upazilas of Rangpur suddenly rose above the danger mark on Wednesday morning. Continuous rainfall over several days caused the river to swell unusually, creating erosion fears among residents on both banks. At 9 a.m. at the Barati point in Taraganj, the river was flowing 15 centimeters above the danger level, measuring 34.68 meters where the danger mark is 34.53 meters.

According to the Water Development Board, the Jamuneswari originates in Dimla upazila of Nilphamari and flows through several areas before joining the Karatoa River in Pirganj. Officials said heavy rainfall in upstream areas such as Domar and Dimla caused the rapid rise in water level. Local residents expressed concern, noting that the river rarely crosses the danger level. The Rangpur weather office reported rainfall of 22 millimeters in Dalia, 18 millimeters in Kaunia, and 10 millimeters in Rangpur between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Water Development Board officials assured that there is no reason for panic and that the water level is expected to recede once the rainfall decreases.

Archaeologists in El Salvador have discovered human remains believed to be around 3,000 years old, according to the country’s Ministry of Culture. The remains were first unearthed on July 2 from a burial site in Antiguo Cuscatlán, a suburb of San Salvador. Officials estimate the remains date back to approximately 850 BCE. A small clay vessel in the Usulután style, shaped like a sea turtle, was also found at the site, along with remnants of cassava branches preserved under layers of volcanic ash.

Researchers reported that the body was found lying face down. To confirm its age, radiocarbon testing will be conducted, and DNA analysis will determine the individual’s gender. The Ministry of Culture noted that the site may contain additional burials similar to those found in the Chalchuapa archaeological area of western El Salvador.

In the 1970s, archaeologists uncovered 33 human remains at Chalchuapa, considered the earliest evidence of human sacrifice in Mesoamerica. Many of those skeletons were found face down, some with bound limbs or signs of decapitation.

Global oil prices continued their upward trend as Brent crude futures rose by one dollar, or 1.1 percent, reaching 92.01 dollars per barrel. The price of US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude increased by 82 cents, or 1 percent, to 85.16 dollars per barrel. According to Reuters, the rise followed recent military actions involving the United States and Iran in the Middle East.

The report stated that US forces carried out attacks in southern and western Iran, while Iran targeted US installations in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. These developments pushed oil prices to their highest level in five weeks by Tuesday, when Brent futures settled at 91.01 dollars per barrel and WTI at 84.91 dollars.

The continued escalation of regional tensions has reinforced market concerns about potential disruptions to oil supply, sustaining the upward momentum in global crude prices.

France’s parliament has passed a new law prohibiting social media use by individuals under the age of 15. The legislation, introduced by President Emmanuel Macron, aims to protect minors from online bullying, harmful content, sexual predators, and mental health risks. It also bans mobile phone use in high schools and is expected to take effect on September 1.

Under the law, social media platforms must implement age verification systems, though educational digital services are exempt. France becomes the first country in Europe to enact such a measure. Similar initiatives are being considered in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. The European Union may also announce new online safety guidelines for children in September.

Critics argue that enforcing the ban could be difficult and may raise privacy concerns. Social media companies maintain that they already have measures in place to protect minors online.

Bangladesh Bank has decided to withdraw administrators from five merged Islamic banks by mid-August 2026. The decision was made during a meeting between Governor Mostakur Rahman and the boards of the five banks at the central bank’s headquarters. The process will be implemented gradually, starting with EXIM Bank next week. Some central bank officials, however, believe administrators should remain longer due to incomplete implementation of the core banking system.

The five banks—EXIM, Social Islami, First Security Islami, Union, and Global Islami—were merged last year into the ‘Combined Islami Bank’ after severe financial irregularities under previous private control. The government injected Tk 20,000 crore into the new entity, while depositors were promised shares worth Tk 15,000 crore. Additionally, Tk 12,000 crore from the deposit insurance fund is being used to repay small depositors.

As of now, 822,000 depositors have received Tk 3,887 crore in repayments. Despite these efforts, the merged banks still face high non-performing loans, totaling Tk 170,500 crore, or 87.43 percent of total loans, raising concerns about their financial stability.

A meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) began on Wednesday morning under the chairmanship of Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman. The session started at 10 a.m. in the Cabinet Division conference room at the Secretariat in Dhaka.

The meeting is set to review nine development projects with a combined estimated cost of Tk 14,800 crore. Among these, four are new projects and five are revised ones. Of the total expenditure, Tk 11,180.17 crore will come from government funds, while Tk 3,550.44 crore will be financed through project loans.

The projects include initiatives such as a Tk 685 crore plan for protecting Bhola and the Dhaka-Ashulia Expressway project, which has overcome earlier uncertainties. The meeting also comes as the National Board of Revenue deploys a special team to monitor tax deduction at source.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) is set to review nine development projects worth about Tk 14,800 crore at its meeting in Dhaka on Wednesday. The session, chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman, will consider four new projects and five revised ones. Of the total cost, Tk 11,180 crore will come from government funds and Tk 3,550 crore from project loans.

According to the Planning Ministry, the projects span multiple sectors including agriculture, water resources, rural institutions, physical infrastructure, and energy. Key proposals include riverbank protection in Bhola, integrated development in greater Dinajpur, rural road maintenance, and expansion of kidney dialysis centers in medical college and district hospitals. Other projects involve the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway, disaster shelter construction, and energy exploration wells in Begumganj and Sunetra.

Additionally, 11 other projects from various ministries will be presented for information only, covering education, textiles, telecommunications, road transport, power, industry, and fisheries. The meeting marks a significant round of development planning under the government’s ongoing infrastructure and social service initiatives.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s latest film, “The Odyssey,” is currently dominating theaters worldwide. In an interview with U.S. outlet Today, Nolan revealed that the physically and mentally demanding production has left him exhausted, prompting him to take a three-year break before starting his next project. The film, based on the Greek epic, explores themes of love, war, homecoming, and destiny on a grand cinematic scale.

Nolan described the filming process as extremely challenging, citing sequences such as the Cyclops’ cave and stormy sea voyages that tested the entire crew. He shot the entire movie on IMAX 70mm film for the first time in his 25-year career, aiming to immerse audiences directly into the world of Odysseus. The cast includes Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, and Tom Holland.

Following the success of “Oppenheimer,” the three-hour epic is projected to earn around $200 million globally in its opening weekend. Nolan said he now plans to rest and recover from the intense filmmaking experience before returning to the big screen.

Flood conditions in India’s Assam state have deteriorated further, with 21 more people dying in flood-related incidents over the past 24 hours. This brings the total death toll from this year’s floods to 31, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA). The agency reported that around 564,600 people across 16 districts have been affected by the rising waters.

ASDMA’s late-night bulletin stated that the highest number of deaths occurred in Sivasagar district, where 13 people died, followed by five in Charaideo, two in Golaghat, and one in Jorhat. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced plans to visit the affected districts from Wednesday to review relief and rescue operations. He said the floods, triggered by heavy upstream rainfall, have caused severe hardship for residents.

The ASDMA added that 872 villages under 44 revenue circles remain submerged, with Sivasagar, Jorhat, and Charaideo among the worst-hit areas. Currently, 12,284 people are taking shelter in 71 relief camps, while 202 distribution centers are operating across the state.

Continuous erosion of the Jamuna River has caused about 60 feet of the Tarakandi-Bhuapur regional highway in Shakharia-Nolin area of Hemnagar Union, Gopalpur upazila, Tangail, to collapse into the river. Due to new cracks appearing along several parts of the road, all vehicular movement has remained suspended for the third consecutive day, severely affecting thousands of passengers and local residents.

According to local observations, rising water levels and strong currents have damaged the flood control embankment and nearby sections of the highway near the Shakharia sluice gate. Residents are moving belongings to safer places amid fears that a complete breach of the embankment could flood large parts of Gopalpur and neighboring upazilas, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of people and cutting off key road links. Local officials and the Bangladesh Water Development Board have inspected the site.

Authorities have begun dumping geo-bags along about 100 feet of the damaged area to control the situation. Officials said sufficient geo-bags have been supplied and emergency dumping is underway while the river’s flow is being continuously monitored.

A severe gas crisis has gripped Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka, disrupting industrial production and household cooking. Long queues of vehicles were seen at CNG filling stations, where drivers waited for hours to get limited gas due to low pressure. Authorities said the shortage worsened after a technical fault at the Maheshkhali floating LNG terminal reduced national grid supply by about 450 million cubic feet per day. The daily demand now exceeds 3.8 billion cubic feet, while supply stands at only 2.7 billion, leaving a shortfall of over 1.1 billion cubic feet.

Titas Gas officials confirmed that the technical issue has halved LNG supply, affecting all categories of consumers. The company apologized and said repair work is underway. Experts and policymakers blamed years of inadequate gas exploration and overreliance on costly imported LNG for the crisis. They warned that reserves are depleting fast, with most gas fields nearing exhaustion. Critics accused the previous government of neglecting domestic exploration in favor of imports.

Energy specialists urged the government to reduce import dependence, accelerate onshore and offshore gas exploration, and improve efficiency to ensure long-term energy security.

In Sitakunda, Chattogram, discarded lifeboats from shipbreaking yards have become the foundation of a thriving multimillion-taka trade. Once considered waste, these sea-rescue vessels are now collected, repaired, and modernized for reuse across Bangladesh. The refurbished boats are being deployed in coastal, riverine, and tourism areas for fishing, passenger transport, and disaster rescue operations.

A bustling market for these boats has emerged in areas such as Bhatiari, Madam Bibirhat, Modonhat, Kadamrasul, Shitalpur, and Sonaichhari. Business owners acquire lifeboats through tenders from shipyards stretching from Faujdarhat to Chhoto Kumira, then refurbish them with fiber work, paint, and new engines. Prices range from Tk 50,000 for basic fiber boats to Tk 550,000 for high-speed rescue models. Traders report growing demand due to durability, low maintenance, and safety advantages over wooden boats.

Local entrepreneurs say the reuse of shipbreaking materials has created a new economic identity for Sitakunda, boosting opportunities in the marine, fisheries, and tourism sectors. With technical support and financing, the region could become a major national hub for recycled watercraft.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has come under scrutiny after its recent heavy rainfall warnings failed to match actual weather conditions. Despite forecasts of heavy to very heavy rain across seven divisions, including Dhaka, on Tuesday, most areas experienced little to no rainfall. The department later admitted that the earlier warning was a major mistake, as the highest recorded rainfall in the country was only 36 millimeters in Gopalganj and 7 millimeters in Dhaka.

Meteorologist Tariful Newaz Kabir attributed the forecasting errors to a shortage of observation stations and technical limitations. He explained that large gaps between stations, such as the 100-kilometer distance between Rangpur and Bogura, reduce data accuracy. Additionally, three of the department’s five weather radars remain nonfunctional, with only those in Dhaka and Rangpur recently repaired. The remaining radars await restoration by JICA.

In response, the BMD issued a revised warning within 48 hours, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in Barishal and Chattogram divisions, with potential landslides in hilly areas, particularly around Cox’s Bazar.

The government has issued a gazette maintaining the registration renewal fee for insurance companies in 2026 at one taka per thousand taka of gross premium. The Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance published the notification on July 19, confirming that the previous rate would remain in effect for the upcoming renewal period.

Earlier, on February 4, the division had raised the renewal fee to two taka fifty paisa per thousand taka of gross premium, which drew strong opposition from private life and general insurance companies. The Bangladesh Insurance Association (BIA) described the increase as an unreasonable financial burden on the industry and demanded its withdrawal. Despite the objections, the higher rate was initially enforced through a June 23 directive.

Following continued appeals from insurance companies, the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) recommended retaining the earlier rate. Acting on this recommendation, the government decided to keep the 2026 renewal fee unchanged, easing financial pressure on the sector.

A total of Tk 2,800 crore in microloans will be provided during the 2026–27 fiscal year under the Credit Enhancement Scheme (CES) implemented by the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). The loans will be extended by 11 banks and one financial institution to PKSF’s partner organizations. The agreement was signed on Tuesday at PKSF Bhaban-1 in Agargaon, Dhaka, with PKSF Deputy Managing Director Muhammad Hasan Khaled and representatives of the participating banks signing on behalf of their institutions.

The participating institutions include Brac Bank, City Bank, Prime Bank, NCC Bank, Trust Bank, Southeast Bank, Mercantile Bank, Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Dhaka Bank, Madhumati Bank, Shimanto Bank, and the UAE-Bangladesh Investment Company Limited (UBICO). PKSF Managing Director Md. Fazlul Kader stated that the scheme aims to formally engage commercial banks in transforming low-income individuals into entrepreneurs. Under the scheme, PKSF’s partner organizations will distribute the loans to small entrepreneurs, with PKSF providing loan guarantees and ensuring proper utilization through close monitoring.

The CES began operations on July 1, 2025. In its first year, 10 banks and one financial company signed agreements with PKSF, disbursing Tk 1,082 crore to 26 partner organizations for small enterprise financing.