United Commercial Bank PLC (UCB) has extended humanitarian support to flood-affected residents of Bandarban. As part of its corporate social responsibility program, the bank distributed food packages to 1,000 families impacted by recent floods. The distribution event took place on Sunday morning at the District Council Rest House premises in Bandarban town, where Professor Thanzama Lushai, Chairman of the Bandarban Hill District Council, attended as the chief guest and handed over the aid packages.

During the event, Thanzama Lushai emphasized that helping disaster victims is a collective social and moral duty, noting that private organizations like UCB complement government relief and rehabilitation efforts. UCB’s Zonal Head and Senior Vice President Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury and Bandarban Branch Head Muha. Hanif Chowdhury were also present.

UCB officials stated that the food assistance was aimed at meeting the immediate needs of flood victims and reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to continue such humanitarian initiatives during future natural disasters.

Prime Minister’s Defense Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) A K M Shamsul Islam visited the Bangladesh Meteorological Department in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Sunday. During the visit, he reviewed the department’s ongoing activities in weather observation, forecast preparation, cyclone and heavy rainfall warnings, and dissemination of emergency weather information to the public. Senior officials briefed him on the use of modern technology, data collection methods, and the steps involved in preparing forecasts.

The adviser toured various divisions, including the storm warning center, forecasting, agricultural meteorology, climate, earthquake observatory, and research facilities. He emphasized the need for clear and accessible weather warnings for people in remote areas. Highlighting the growing risks from climate change, he called for transforming the department into a modern, technology-driven, and people-oriented institution. He also instructed officials to explore expanding mobile-based alert services and to strengthen coordination among disaster management agencies, local administrations, media, and telecom operators.

An ISPR press release confirmed that senior officials from the Defense Ministry, SPARRSO, and the Meteorological Department attended the visit.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines plans to lease 10 aircraft by 2027 to expand its international routes and increase passenger capacity. State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M. Rashiduzzaman Millat said the initiative aims to address the airline’s short-term capacity gap until 14 new Boeing aircraft are added to the fleet from 2031. Initially, three aircraft will be leased, with the number potentially increasing based on operational needs and route expansion strategies.

The government has emphasized transparency in the leasing process and has begun selecting an international consultant to oversee it. Around 40 applications have been received, and one qualified firm will be chosen. The leasing plan is separate from Biman’s $3.7 billion Boeing purchase agreement. As part of the initiative, Biman has invited proposals for a six-year dry lease of three Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, expected to join the fleet in early 2027.

The expansion comes amid rapid growth in Bangladesh’s aviation sector, with private airlines like US-Bangla, Air Astra, and Novoair also pursuing fleet and route expansions to capture a larger share of the international passenger market.

A Bangladesh-flagged vessel, MV Jahan Brothers-2, arrived at Pakistan’s Gwadar port on Saturday after sailing from Singapore. The ship is carrying more than 53,000 tons of prime steel billets, which will later be transported to the Al Hamriya port in the United Arab Emirates. The cargo will be temporarily unloaded and stored at Gwadar before being reloaded onto another vessel for onward shipment.

According to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, the operation is part of a transshipment process linking regional ports. Gwadar Port Authority Chairman Noor-ul-Haq Baloch stated that despite regional challenges, port and commercial activities continue uninterrupted, and Gwadar is positioning itself as a safe, reliable, and efficient regional trade hub.

The development highlights Gwadar’s growing role in regional logistics and its efforts to attract more transshipment traffic through improved operational reliability.

Facebook users experienced disruptions accessing the platform’s desktop version from Sunday noon due to server or technical issues. Many users reported encountering messages such as ‘account temporarily enabled’ or pages failing to load when attempting to log in. The issue appears to be linked to Meta’s backend updates or server malfunctions, according to the report.

Numerous users took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share their experiences using the hashtag #FacebookDown, posting screenshots of the error messages they received. Despite widespread user reports, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, had not issued any official statement regarding the cause or resolution of the problem at the time of reporting.

The outage has raised concerns among users who rely on Facebook’s desktop version for communication and business activities, though the duration and full extent of the disruption remain unclear.

Continuous heavy rainfall and prolonged tidal flooding have submerged about 25,000 hectares of cropland in Hatiya upazila of Noakhali, damaging Aus paddy, Aman seedbeds, seasonal vegetables, fruits, chili, and betel leaf plantations. According to the local agriculture office, the estimated financial loss may exceed 300 million taka, affecting around 80,000 farmers across the region.

Official data show that 21,520 hectares of Aus paddy, 1,920 hectares of Aman seedbeds, 950 hectares of vegetables, 58 hectares of fruit orchards, 4 hectares of chili, and 10 hectares of betel leaf farms have been damaged. Farmers from several unions, including Char King and Char Ishwar, reported total crop loss. Many, like Kamal Uddin and Hoksab, described losing their entire investment and now face financial hardship.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdul Bashed Sobuj said field officers are advising affected farmers, and detailed damage reports have been sent to the district agriculture office. He expressed hope that government assistance will soon be allocated to help farmers recover.

Forkan Haider Chowdhury, ambassador and adviser of Netherlands-based United Dutch Exporters (Unidex), said that opportunities for Bangladeshi food products in European markets are expanding. He emphasized that ensuring international standards, building long-term business relationships, and maintaining regular market connections could further increase demand for Bangladeshi goods. The current market value of these exports already exceeds hundreds of crores of taka annually.

Unidex, founded in 1989 by Roland Jansen, has grown from a small operation into one of Europe’s largest ethnic food distribution networks. The company operates in both ethnic and mainstream retail markets, supplying products across Europe from Helsinki to Malta. It sources food items from countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Norway, China, and Bangladesh. Under Chowdhury’s initiative, Bangladeshi brands such as Pran, BD Food, Ifad, and Danish have entered European markets through Unidex.

Recently, Unidex merged with the Europe-based Asian Food Group, significantly increasing its purchasing power and distribution capacity. Chowdhury noted that this expansion creates new opportunities for producers from Bangladesh and other countries to access European markets.

At least eight people were killed and six others went missing after heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods in India-administered Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch and Rajouri districts. Rescue operations are underway in the affected areas, with the most severe damage reported in Surankote of Poonch, where a house was buried by a landslide. Two bodies were recovered from the site, while six people remain unaccounted for. Several others died as homes collapsed or they drowned in floodwaters.

In Rajouri town, floodwaters entered residential areas, forcing hundreds of residents to move to safer locations. Numerous vehicles were swept away, causing extensive property damage. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah cut short his Delhi visit to return to Jammu and oversee the situation, stating that the administration is prioritizing relief efforts for the victims.

The weather department has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir until July 23, raising concerns about further flooding and landslides in the region.

Astronomers have discovered two of the lightest giant planets ever found, located about 1,100 light-years from Earth in a distant star system. The newly identified gas planets, named TOI-791b and TOI-791c, were first detected by volunteers from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite project. Despite being similar in size to Jupiter, their masses are only 3 to 6 percent of Jupiter’s, making their densities comparable to aerogel, the lightest man-made material.

The research, led by Oxford University astrophysicist George Dransfield, describes these planets as 'super-puffs'—gas giants with extremely small cores that defy conventional planetary formation models. The phenomenon challenges existing theories, as such small cores should not be able to retain vast gaseous atmospheres. The term 'super-puff' was first introduced in 2016 by astrophysicist Eve J. Lee, who suggested that these planets form only under very specific cold and dust-free conditions.

Scientists plan to use the James Webb Space Telescope to study the structure and composition of these planets in greater detail, though a complete understanding of their motion may take nearly a century.

The government of Bangladesh is preparing to implement a Tk 6,000 crore project aimed at improving border connectivity roads under the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). A Development Project Proposal (DPP) titled 'Border Connectivity Road Rural Infrastructure Development Project' has been prepared, with an estimated cost of Tk 5,991.28 crore and a project duration from July 2026 to June 2031. A letter signed by LGED’s acting chief engineer Belal Hossain was sent to the Local Government Division secretary on July 12, requesting necessary approval.

According to the source, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has not yet been involved or informed about the project. However, a senior BGB officer acknowledged that poor road conditions currently hinder troop movement and welcomed the government’s initiative. Rangpur Range DIG Aminul Islam and Rangpur Divisional Commissioner Shahidul Islam both stated that improved border roads would help curb smuggling, illegal entry, and enhance rapid response capabilities.

The project proposal follows a series of reports published by the newspaper highlighting challenges faced by BGB and border residents, prompting LGED to take this development initiative.

Continuous rainfall and flooding have severely damaged Chattogram’s agricultural sector, affecting crops and water sources across 16 upazilas. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, more than 15,911 hectares of farmland, including Aus paddy, Aman seedbeds, and summer vegetables, have been damaged, with estimated financial losses exceeding Tk 400 crore. Around 20,000 tube wells and over 5,000 toilets were also damaged, creating acute shortages of food and safe drinking water in affected areas.

The worst-hit upazilas include Banshkhali, Sandwip, Chandanaish, Fatikchhari, and Satkania, where large portions of Aus paddy and vegetables were destroyed. Many farmers will need to replant Aman seedbeds, increasing production costs. Health experts have warned that contaminated tube wells could trigger outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and typhoid if safe water is not ensured.

Officials from the Department of Public Health Engineering said damage assessments are underway, and efforts are being made to repair or reinstall tube wells and restore safe water supply to flood-affected communities.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has deployed special teams across Bangladesh to strengthen monitoring and verification of tax deduction at source. According to an official statement issued on Sunday by NBR’s Public Relations Officer Al Amin Sheikh, the teams are inspecting various commercial and economic institutions under the authority granted by Section 147 of the Income Tax Act, 2023.

The NBR notice explained that under Section 147, tax officials are empowered to enter business premises, examine financial records, and access digital systems, including cloud servers and encrypted data, to verify the authenticity of tax deductions. They may temporarily seize relevant documents or electronic devices and mark or seal copies of records as needed. The law also provides for penalties in cases of obstruction or non-cooperation during these operations.

The NBR urged taxpayers to deposit deducted taxes into the government treasury through e-challan using the correct legal provisions and economic codes. It also advised taxpayers to contact the Section 147 committee’s member secretary via email for assistance in case of confusion, complexity, or grievances related to the enforcement of the law.

An opinion article published on July 19, 2026, highlights Bangladesh’s persistent struggle to eliminate brokers from the overseas employment process. Despite having formal institutions such as BMET, BOESL, DEMO offices, technical training centers, and digital tools like the OIM-BMET platform and Ami Probashi app, the system remains inaccessible to many rural job seekers. The article notes that in 2023, over 1.1 million workers went abroad, but only 1.3 percent used the state recruiting agency BOESL, reflecting a major gap between policy and field reality.

The author cites findings from the World Bank, CPD, and ITUC showing that weak data integration, limited outreach, and informal recruitment practices allow brokers to dominate the process, often charging excessive fees and exploiting workers. To address this, the article proposes embassy-based Labor Market Development Cells, one-stop support for foreign employers, performance-based incentives for officials, and integrated upazila-level assistance centers combining existing agencies.

It further calls for transparent cost disclosure, verified contracts, expanded training linked to real labor demand, and direct access to low-interest loans. The author argues that investing a small portion of remittance income in these reforms would strengthen worker safety and national economic stability.

Authorities at the Kaptai Dam in Rangamati opened 16 spillway gates by six inches each at 11:20 a.m. on Saturday to release about 9,000 cusecs of water into the Karnaphuli River. The decision followed heavy rainfall and mountain runoff that rapidly raised the water level of Kaptai Lake. The measure aims to manage upstream and downstream water flow and prevent potential flooding.

According to the manager engineer of the Karnaphuli Hydropower Station, the lake’s water level reached 104.08 feet MSL at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Five power generation units are currently operating, producing an average of 222 megawatts of electricity while discharging around 32,000 cusecs of water through turbines. The lake’s maximum capacity is 109 feet MSL, and authorities may open more gates if necessary.

Officials have advised residents in low-lying areas along the Karnaphuli River to remain alert. The situation is being continuously monitored, and Rangamati’s deputy commissioner and other local officials visited the dam to observe the water release operation.

A section of the embankment in Talukdar village under Char Ishwar Union of Hatiya upazila, Noakhali, collapsed on Friday afternoon under pressure from an unusually high tide, flooding three villages. The sudden inundation swept away household furniture, fish from ponds, livestock, and crops. Local residents fear the situation may worsen during the next high tide at night, with further damage expected.

According to local sources, continuous rainfall and high tides had weakened several parts of the embankment before it gave way. Floodwaters rose two to three feet in some areas, submerging rural roads, homes, and farmlands. Union Parishad member Asar Uddin said authorities had been warned earlier but no preventive action was taken. Residents accused officials of negligence and urged immediate repair using geo-bags or sandbags to block water entry.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rasel Iqbal confirmed that the Water Development Board had been alerted earlier, and emergency repairs are planned. Sub-divisional engineer Jamil Uddin Patwary said repair work would begin as soon as weather conditions allow.