A large tree fell on a university bus at Jagannath University (JNU) campus in Dhaka on Sunday morning, July 12, 2026, during continuous rainfall. The incident occurred at the Shanto Chattar area of the campus, damaging the bus but causing no injuries to students, drivers, or staff. Witnesses said the tree suddenly uprooted and crashed onto the parked bus, creating panic among those nearby. University authorities visited the site and began removing the fallen tree.

Transport Administrator Professor Md. Tariq Bin Atik stated that although no one was hurt, the bus sustained significant damage, estimated at around three to four lakh taka. He noted that several trees on campus are in risky condition and urged the administration to identify and address them to prevent future accidents.

An assessment of the total damage is underway, and officials emphasized the need for proactive measures to ensure campus safety during the monsoon season.

In Mymensingh, intermittent heavy rainfall and high humidity have intensified health risks for outdoor laborers such as farmers, construction workers, brick kiln laborers, and rickshaw pullers. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded 174 millimeters of rainfall on Wednesday, one of the country’s highest, while weak wind flow and persistent humidity have made working conditions increasingly hazardous. Experts warn that these are not normal seasonal variations but signs of a shifting climate pattern marked by hot days, humid nights, and erratic rain.

Health officials report a rise in heat-related illnesses including dehydration, heat exhaustion, and kidney complications. They emphasize the need for better medical training, equipment, and preparedness across hospitals. Farmers and laborers describe difficulties working in sweltering conditions without shaded rest areas or access to safe drinking water. Meteorologists note that Mymensingh’s geography makes it prone to thunderstorms, while climate scientists warn of long-term threats to productivity, agriculture, and food security.

Authorities have installed lightning protection systems in the region, but maintenance and coordination remain inadequate, limiting their effectiveness in reducing lightning-related hazards.

Electro Mart Group CEO Md. Nurul Afsar has received the Asia Prestige 50 Under 50 CEO Excellence Award 2026, recognizing his leadership and contributions to the electronics industry. The award ceremony took place at the Shangri-La Hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where over 280 senior corporate leaders from 28 countries gathered. The event was inaugurated by Cambodia’s Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, Hem Vandi, and celebrated young, dynamic, and visionary business leaders under 50 across Asia.

The award highlights Afsar’s more than 33 years of dedication to innovation, participation, and development within Electro Mart Group and Bangladesh’s electronics sector. Under his leadership, the company achieved significant growth through strategic marketing, product diversification, and sustainable development initiatives. The Electro Mart chairman congratulated Afsar, noting that his visionary leadership has driven the company’s culture of excellence.

In his remarks, Afsar expressed gratitude to the organizers and said the recognition would inspire further responsibility and collaboration to advance Bangladesh’s electronics and home appliance industries.

Continuous heavy rainfall has severely disrupted daily life in Dhaka, where 179 millimeters of rain fell between Saturday morning and Sunday noon, a span of just 30 hours. The downpour, combined with inadequate drainage, has submerged both main roads and residential lanes, leaving office workers, students, and laborers struggling to move through flooded streets.

Low-lying areas such as Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Tejgaon, Green Road, Malibagh, Shantinagar, Mirpur, and parts of Old Dhaka have experienced severe waterlogging, with water levels reaching knee to waist height in some places. Public transport shortages and disputes over fare hikes have added to commuters’ difficulties. According to meteorologist Khondkar Hafizur Rahman, the heavy rain is caused by active monsoon conditions and may continue through tomorrow, delaying any improvement in the flooding situation.

Experts note that Dhaka’s drainage system lacks sufficient capacity, with silt and plastic waste blocking many drains. City authorities are attempting to remove water, but their efforts remain inadequate compared to the scale of the problem.

Continuous monsoon rains have submerged large parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka, yet the expected cooling effect remains absent. Despite temperatures stabilizing between 29 and 34 degrees Celsius, people across the country are enduring intense humidity and discomfort. Authorities have warned of short-term flooding in northeastern lowlands, even as water levels recede in Chattogram and hill regions.

Meteorologist Dr. Omar Faruk explained that Bangladesh’s traditional six-season cycle has been disrupted by climate change, leaving the country effectively trapped between summer and monsoon. He noted that low-lying clouds and longer daylight hours prevent rainfall from bringing relief. Meteorologist Kazi Jebun Nesa added that high humidity from southern monsoon winds intensifies the heat, while Bazlur Rahman described monsoon rain as “warm rain” formed from low clouds, unlike the cooler pre-monsoon showers.

Frequent power outages have worsened public suffering, depriving residents of relief from fans and cooling devices. Experts also linked the persistent heat to global El Niño effects and long-term climate instability.

Widespread flooding has submerged large parts of Satkania and Lohagara upazilas in South Chattogram following continuous rainfall that began on July 6, 2026. Environmental experts say the disaster is not only due to heavy rain but also decades of unregulated hill cutting, illegal brick kilns, and unplanned development that have reduced the region’s natural water retention capacity. Around 300,000 people are reportedly trapped by floodwaters, with homes, schools, and roads inundated and communication severely disrupted.

Investigations reveal that soil from hill cutting in Satkania’s Aochia area is being supplied to illegal brick kilns in nearby Banshkhali. Despite legal actions, influential kiln owners have largely avoided prosecution. The Department of Environment acknowledges limited manpower and legal constraints in controlling the destruction, with over 300 unlicensed brick kilns operating across Chattogram. Officials say daily raids continue but public awareness remains low.

Experts warn that ongoing hill cutting and land filling will worsen flash floods and waterlogging. They also caution that the new Dohazari–Cox’s Bazar railway, if not properly designed with adequate culverts, could act as an artificial barrier to water flow.

Rail communication between Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar resumed on Sunday after being suspended for five days due to flooding caused by heavy rainfall. The intercity Parjotok Express, which departed from Dhaka, left Chattogram station at 11:40 a.m. for Cox’s Bazar, marking the first train to operate on the route after the disruption. Railway authorities confirmed that other scheduled trains from Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, and Dhaka will gradually resume passenger services on the same route.

According to railway sources, continuous rain had submerged about 500 meters of track near Shamsherpara, east of Jan Ali Hat station, on the Sholoshahar-Dohazari section. Water levels rose up to 21 inches above the track, exceeding the safe limit for locomotive traction motors, which can operate in up to 4–5 inches of water. As a result, train operations were halted last Tuesday.

Railway officials stated that emergency engineering measures and receding water levels made the track safe again. The line was raised about 10 inches above the water level through lifting work, and after inspections, train operations resumed on Sunday.

Bangladesh’s television audience first experienced large-scale dubbing a decade ago with the Turkish series “Sultan Suleiman,” aired on Deepto TV. The show’s success, driven by high-quality Bangla dubbing, opened a new chapter for foreign series localization. Following this, several private TV channels and OTT platforms began producing dubbed content, creating a new professional field for voice-over artists.

Although dubbing existed earlier through BTV and Kolkata-based studios, Deepto TV’s 2015 initiative marked the first major domestic effort to build local dubbing teams and studios. Voice director Lata Majumdar and actor Deepak Suman described the early challenges of forming a 15-member team without prior infrastructure. Today, around 15 studios operate nationwide, with artists working in categories earning between 2,000 and 5,000 taka per shift, and experienced freelancers earning up to 600 taka per minute.

Industry figures note growing challenges, including declining quality and complex government regulations requiring censorship and time restrictions for foreign content. Without improvements, experts fear the sector could again depend on imported dubbing services.

The Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB) has submitted a proposal to Bangladesh Bank seeking approval to impose new fees on 14 banking services that are currently free of charge. The proposal also includes increases in existing charges for various services such as account maintenance, loan processing, letters of credit, bank guarantees, demand drafts, pay orders, and solvency certificates. If approved, the changes would significantly raise banking costs for depositors, businesses, importers, exporters, and borrowers.

According to the proposal, dormant account reactivation would cost 500 taka, and cash withdrawals beyond certain limits would incur new fees. Loan management, restructuring, and early settlement charges would rise, while fees for letters of credit and bank guarantees would also increase. ABB has argued that rising operational and technology costs, along with inflation, justify a revision of the current fee structure. It has requested that the proposed schedule of charges be approved as the maximum limit for all banks.

ABB also suggested allowing banks to adjust charges annually by up to 10 percent in line with operational and inflationary changes, subject to Bangladesh Bank’s approval.

Continuous heavy rainfall from Saturday night to Sunday morning has once again submerged large parts of Chattogram under water. Major roads, alleys, and low-lying neighborhoods were flooded, causing severe disruption to daily life. Residents in areas such as Chawk Bazar, Kapasgola, Katalganj CDA residential area, Tekbazar, Bahaddarhat Signal, and Hamzarbag faced knee- to waist-deep water. Many homes were inundated, leaving families trapped indoors and commuters struggling to reach workplaces.

Flooding also affected parts of the Kalurghat to Arakan Road area, where water remains stagnant in low-lying houses. Locals reported extreme difficulty in carrying out daily activities. Despite repeated promises of drainage improvement projects, residents said most of the city still goes underwater during heavy rain. They demanded effective water drainage and a permanent solution to the recurring problem.

According to the Meteorological Department, the active monsoon is likely to bring more rainfall to the Chattogram region in the coming days, raising concerns of prolonged waterlogging.

Wikipedia has come under renewed scrutiny in India after a defamation lawsuit filed by Asian News International (ANI) in 2024. The Delhi High Court warned that the platform could be banned in India if it fails to comply with national laws. This has reignited global debate over how Wikipedia operates and how reliable its information truly is.

Wikipedia, launched in 2001, is a free, open-source online encyclopedia managed by the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation. It hosts over 60 million articles and receives more than 10 trillion monthly page views. Around 300,000 volunteers worldwide write and verify its content without pay, following strict editorial guidelines that require information to be based on reliable published sources. Disputed entries are reviewed by senior editors and marked accordingly.

While Wikipedia acknowledges that it should not be treated as a primary source, experts note that widely known topics tend to be more accurate due to frequent review. Critics have raised concerns about gender imbalance among contributors and ideological bias. The platform operates without ads, relying on user donations, and faces restrictions or bans in at least 13 countries, including China, Myanmar, and North Korea.

Flooding across 11 upazilas of Chattogram has persisted for a week despite reduced rainfall, as heavy upstream flow from India’s Tripura and Mizoram continues to inundate low-lying areas. According to district authorities, 759,000 people remain waterlogged, though the actual number is believed to be higher. Eleven people have died from landslides and floodwaters, and large parts of Banshkhali, Satkania, Fatikchhari, Raozan, Boalkhali, Chandanaish, Lohagara, Hathazari, Anwara, Karnaphuli, and Patiya remain submerged.

Rescue and relief operations are underway with army, BGB, police, and fire service teams deployed in seven upazilas. Many areas remain without electricity and mobile networks, leaving residents isolated. Shortages of food and drinking water persist in overcrowded shelters. Agricultural losses include 9,043 hectares of Aus crops, 960 hectares of Aman seedbeds, and 5,907 hectares of vegetables, while fish and livestock losses are estimated at Tk 40 crore and Tk 28 crore respectively.

State ministers said the prime minister is closely monitoring the situation, and that water levels are expected to recede as sluice gates have been opened and rainfall decreases.

The government of Bangladesh has approved a policy decision to introduce ration benefits for government employees in grades 12 to 20, aiming to ease financial pressure caused by rising living costs. The Finance Division and the Cabinet Division have already given their consent, and implementation activities are underway. The decision follows prolonged discussions and was initiated after a proposal from the Pirojpur Deputy Commissioner at the May 3 District Commissioners’ Conference.

According to officials, many lower- and mid-level government employees have been struggling with inflation and relying on loans to manage expenses. The ration plan seeks to reduce living costs, ease mental stress, and improve work efficiency. The Cabinet Division instructed ministries to report monthly progress by the 10th of each month and to present an overall review after three months. Public administration experts welcomed the move as timely and positive but urged strict oversight to prevent irregularities and ensure genuine beneficiaries receive the support.

Currently, ration benefits are available to members of the armed forces, police, BGB, Ansar, prison, fire service, NSI, SSF, ACC, and narcotics control departments.

In Mirzapur of Tangail, a newly constructed 460-meter road has started to deteriorate just seven days after completion. Locals reported that the asphalt layer is peeling off under vehicle pressure, creating small potholes and causing the surface to sink. The road, stretching from the Gorai Flyover area through Jorpukur Par to Bongerteki Green City, was built by Bismillah Enterprise at a cost of 1.475 million taka. The construction was carried out hastily during adverse weather, and rain began before the asphalt could properly dry.

Residents alleged that the contractor did not clean the old surface before applying the new asphalt and used substandard materials with insufficient bitumen. These factors, combined with the rain, reportedly led to the rapid damage. The Upazila Engineer of Mirzapur LGED, Monirul Saj Rizon, confirmed awareness of the damage and stated that no payment has been made to the contractor yet.

He added that the bill will not be released until the damaged sections are properly repaired, indicating possible rework before final approval.

A powerful Typhoon Bavi struck eastern China on Saturday, marking the second major storm to hit the country within a week. The typhoon first made landfall in the coastal city of Taizhou in the evening before reaching Wenzhou around midnight. Authorities evacuated about two million people from disaster-prone areas, including over 1.7 million from Zhejiang Province alone. Flights, train services, schools, and outdoor activities were suspended as precautionary measures.

Before reaching China, Bavi had passed near Japan’s remote islands and northern Taiwan, bringing heavy rainfall, and earlier caused at least 17 deaths in the Philippines due to landslides. Although the storm weakened into a severe tropical storm, it continued to pose risks from intense rainfall and moisture. State media warned of extremely heavy rain in parts of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces on Sunday.

Officials expect the typhoon to gradually lose strength as it moves northwest. The storm follows Typhoon Maysak, which struck southern China earlier in the week, killing at least 39 people and causing significant agricultural losses.