Severe weather has disrupted Bangladesh’s import-export trade, leaving more than fifty cargo ships stranded off Chattogram Port for four consecutive days. Continuous heavy rainfall and rough seas have prevented lighter vessels from approaching mother vessels anchored offshore, halting unloading operations. Port officials reported that only three of fifty-five vessels are unloading on a limited scale during brief breaks in the rain. Several off-docks have also been flooded, damaging containerized goods, while traders estimate financial losses exceeding hundreds of crores of taka.

According to the port authority, the stormy conditions in the Bay of Bengal have made unloading unsafe, prompting restrictions to prevent accidents. Perishable goods are being prioritized for limited unloading. Although container handling at the main jetty remains normal, delivery volumes have dropped sharply due to flooding across the city. Daily container deliveries have fallen from 3,500–4,000 to about 2,500–2,600 units.

Business leaders said the disruption is affecting factory production and market supply, while importers face daily waiting charges of $15,000–$25,000 per vessel. The port expects congestion to ease once weather conditions improve.

TikTok has released its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report for the first quarter of 2026, detailing actions taken between January and March to maintain platform safety. According to the report, the company removed 13,218,004 videos from Bangladesh for violating community guidelines, representing about 0.8 percent of total uploaded content during that period. The platform’s automated moderation system identified and deleted 99.6 percent of these videos before any user complaints, with 94.4 percent removed within 24 hours. Following review, 320,593 videos were later reinstated.

Globally, TikTok deleted 184,012,576 videos during the same quarter, amounting to 0.5 percent of total uploads. The global rate of automated detection and removal stood at 99.3 percent. The company also deleted 86,288,705 fake accounts and closed 25,764,372 accounts suspected to belong to users under 13 years old.

In addition to video moderation, TikTok removed 237,517,128 comments worldwide, marking an increase from the previous quarter. The report noted that 18.6 percent of deleted videos contained sensitive content, while others violated safety, behavioral, or decency policies.

A total of 78 tourists stranded in Sajek due to continuous rainfall in Khagrachhari were brought back under special arrangements. The evacuation took place on Friday with the assistance of the army and police, using boats and rafts to ensure their safe departure from the area.

Authorities stated that other tourists remain in Sajek as water on the roads has not yet receded, preventing normal vehicular movement. They assured that once road conditions improve, the remaining stranded visitors will also be safely returned in phases.

The situation highlights the impact of persistent rain on travel and safety in the hilly region, with officials prioritizing emergency needs in the ongoing rescue efforts.

Continuous heavy rainfall and hill torrents have worsened flooding across Cox’s Bazar, submerging more than 150 villages in 35 unions and leaving around 500,000 people stranded. Water levels in the Bakkhali and Matamuhuri rivers have risen above danger marks, while at least 22 people have died in landslides over the past four days. The worst-affected areas include Rajakhali, Magnama, and Ujantia unions in Chakaria and Pekua.

Local authorities report that homes, schools, and rural roads are underwater, severely disrupting daily life. Officials have warned of increased landslide risks and urged residents near hills to move to safer locations. The district administration has opened a control room and prepared 648 shelters for rescue and relief operations. River embankments remain mostly intact, though minor overflow has been reported in parts of Chakaria.

According to the weather office, Cox’s Bazar recorded 547 millimeters of rainfall in five days, with heavy rain expected to continue until July 11. Boat services on several coastal routes remain suspended for seven days due to rough seas, stranding thousands of passengers.

Bangladesh’s Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury announced that the government plans to send 10 million skilled workers abroad over the next five years. He made the statement in parliament while responding to questions from lawmakers during the national budget session. The minister said that 110 training institutions, including 104 technical training centers and six institutes of marine technology, are currently providing skill development training in 55 trades and courses to prepare workers for overseas employment.

Chowdhury added that the government is working to ensure safe, regular, and orderly migration while controlling migration costs and curbing fraud by middlemen. A new digital platform, the Overseas Employment Platform (OEP), has been launched to make the migration process more transparent and accountable. The government has also introduced the 2025 regulations for licensing recruiting agents and registering sub-agents to bring them under legal oversight.

He further stated that district and upazila-level migration coordination committees have been formed to implement local migration activities, and that the government continues to assist expatriate workers, including repatriating deceased workers’ bodies at state expense.

China and Taiwan are on high alert as Typhoon Bavi, one of the most powerful tropical storms in recent years, approaches from the southeast of Taiwan. The storm’s center has wind speeds of around 200 kilometers per hour, and it spans nearly 1,000 kilometers—roughly the size of France. Forecasts indicate that Bavi could skirt northern Taiwan before making landfall in China’s Fujian province on Saturday evening. Taiwan’s defense ministry has placed about 29,000 troops on standby, while meteorologists warn of up to one meter of rainfall in northern mountainous areas.

The storm arrives as parts of China are still recovering from Typhoon Maysak, which killed at least 39 people in Guangxi earlier in the week. In Taiwan, fishing boats have sought shelter, residents are lining up for sandbags, and farmers are rushing to harvest crops. Japan’s Okinawa region has also issued high alerts, with airlines canceling dozens of flights.

Scientists cited in the report link the increasing intensity of such storms to climate change and the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, which is raising sea temperatures and fueling stronger typhoons across East Asia.

The Washington-based research organization The Bengal Council has released a new policy paper analyzing the recently signed United States–Bangladesh trade agreement. Titled “The Cotton Corridor: Bangladesh’s Reciprocal Trade Agreement with the United States and the Path Forward,” the six-page paper examines the strategic importance, potential, and implementation aspects of the deal signed earlier this year. It emphasizes that the agreement should be seen not merely as a tariff reduction initiative or political issue but as the institutional basis for a long-term economic partnership between the two nations.

The paper discusses five key areas: Bangladesh’s export economy, the agreement’s core commitments, the global geopolitical and trade context, prospects for bilateral cooperation, and institutional challenges in implementation. It highlights that effective execution of the zero-tariff benefit for garments made with US cotton could significantly enhance Bangladesh’s apparel competitiveness. The report also notes that the deal could influence Bangladesh’s relations with other partners such as the EU, India, and China, while opening opportunities in investment, technology, supply chain stability, cybersecurity, and development finance.

Eight recommendations are proposed, including launching the zero-tariff corridor swiftly, strengthening parliamentary oversight, managing third-country relations strategically, and using the agreement to drive domestic reforms.

Hundreds of snakes escaped from a breeding farm in Hengzhou city of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region after floods triggered by Typhoon Maysak damaged the facility. According to Chinese media outlet Global Times, around 800 to 900 snakes fled into surrounding areas, causing widespread alarm. The flood began on July 6 when heavy rainfall broke a local reservoir dam, inundating the farm. Initial reports suggest most of the escaped snakes are nonvenomous.

Local authorities confirmed that one villager was hospitalized after a snakebite, while many snakes were swept away by floodwaters. Residents formed volunteer teams to capture snakes using fishing nets, but officials urged people not to attempt this themselves. The Hengzhou administration strengthened emergency medical services, increased antivenom supplies, deployed additional rescue teams, and set up temporary clinics for bite victims.

Public awareness campaigns through loudspeakers, WeChat groups, and home visits advised residents to avoid risky areas, especially at night. Local media also issued safety guidelines, warning against traditional but unsafe snakebite treatments and urging immediate medical attention.

The Chattogram district administration has canceled all types of leave, including weekly holidays, for its officers and employees following five consecutive days of heavy rainfall that caused severe flooding, landslides, and waterlogging across the district. District Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah announced the decision during a press briefing at his office on Thursday, stating that 24-hour control rooms have been set up in every upazila and at the district office to coordinate rescue, relief, and monitoring efforts.

According to the district administration, around 450,000 people have been trapped by floodwaters, with Satkania upazila being the worst affected, as about 70 percent of its area is submerged. Large parts of Chandanaish, Lohagara, Banshkhali, and Boalkhali are also inundated. The administration has received 200 metric tons of rice and Tk 10 lakh from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, along with Tk 20 lakh from the Prime Minister’s Fund. About 8,000 people have already taken shelter in designated centers.

A total of 629 shelters have been prepared with food, clean water, and medical services, including special care for children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Emergency speedboats have been requested for Satkania, and coordinated rescue teams from government agencies and volunteer groups are operating in the field.

Professor Dr. Abdus Salam, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) of the University of Dhaka and a faculty member of the Department of Chemistry, has been awarded the National Environment Award 2025 for his contributions to environmental research and technological innovation. The award was presented by Prime Minister Tareq Rahman on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center during the national ceremony marking World Environment Day 2026.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Salam was nominated in the category of environmental research and technology innovation through a gazette issued on June 7, 2026. The university’s public relations office stated that he has been conducting research for nearly 25 years on environment, air pollution, atmospheric science, climate change, and public health, earning international recognition for his work. His studies have significantly contributed to improving air quality in Bangladesh and identifying pollution sources.

Dhaka University teachers and officials congratulated Dr. Salam on receiving the award. This year, three individuals and three institutions were honored with the National Environment Award 2025 for their contributions to environmental conservation, education, and innovation.

Heavy hill floods from India have inundated vast croplands in Cumilla, leaving more than a thousand farmers facing severe losses. Early-season vegetables and other crops in Adarsha Sadar and Burichang upazilas were submerged as the Gomti River overflowed on Thursday morning. Farmers were seen wading through waist-deep water trying to salvage what they could from fields of gourds, leafy greens, and other vegetables.

Local farmers reported extensive damage, with some losing investments worth hundreds of thousands of taka. Many were forced to harvest immature crops in an attempt to recover part of their losses before total destruction. The affected areas include Kachiatali Amtali, Balikhara, Bhanti, and Kamarkhara, where floodwaters have covered large stretches of farmland.

Mizanur Rahman, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Cumilla, confirmed that thousands of farmers’ crops have been submerged due to rising water levels in the Gomti River. He said officials are on-site assessing the situation and that necessary assistance measures will be taken after the damage survey is completed.

A ten-month-old child died in a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall in Jungle Salimpur of Sitakunda upazila, Chattogram, on Wednesday. Following the incident, the upazila administration, police, fire service, and local representatives launched extensive rescue and evacuation operations in vulnerable hillside areas to prevent further casualties. Public announcements were made urging residents at the foot of the hills to move to safety, and three shelters were prepared for evacuees.

According to local sources, the landslide occurred in Ward No. 1’s Bagangbari area, where a section of the hill collapsed onto a house, burying the infant named Tanvir, son of Moin Uddin and Lamia Begum. UNO Fakhrul Islam, along with police and officials, visited the site and directed families in risky zones to relocate. The administration provided Tk 25,000 in cash and food aid to the victim’s family.

Authorities confirmed that shelters have been equipped with clean water, dry food, baby food, and medical support. Additional shelters are ready to open if weather conditions worsen.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu told parliament that the government is giving top priority to the safety and relief of people affected by heavy rainfall in Chattogram and the hill districts. He reported that landslides and floods have caused deaths in Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Bandarban, and Rangamati. Hundreds of shelters have been opened, accommodating thousands of displaced residents. Additional cash and rice allocations have been made to the affected districts, and the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund has also provided financial support.

The minister said that loudspeaker announcements are ongoing to move people from risky areas to safe shelters, where food, water, and sanitation are ensured. He added that the government is ready to rehabilitate people living on dangerous hillsides on government land. The Prime Minister is monitoring the situation and has instructed officials to provide further aid if needed.

Dulu also stated that the government has strengthened early warning systems and emergency response capacity, shifting from relief-based to risk-reduction-based disaster management. Equipment and rescue boats have been distributed across coastal and flood-prone districts to enhance preparedness.

The Bangladesh Navy has intensified its rescue operation to locate six fishermen who went missing after a fishing trawler sank in the Bay of Bengal during a storm. The naval warship BNS Gomti is leading the deep-sea search, continuing operations without interruption to find the missing crew members. The incident occurred when the trawler, carrying 11 fishermen, capsized about 100 to 150 kilometers southeast of Payra seaport last Sunday. Five fishermen were rescued alive, but six remain unaccounted for.

According to reports, all the missing fishermen are residents of Galachipa upazila in Patuakhali district. The Navy is coordinating with other relevant agencies to sustain the search and rescue efforts despite challenging sea conditions. Families of the missing men are anxiously waiting for news as the rescue teams continue their mission.

The ongoing operation highlights the risks faced by coastal fishing communities during adverse weather in the Bay of Bengal and the Navy’s continued commitment to maritime safety.

All schools and colleges in Chattogram city remained closed for the third consecutive day on July 9, 2026, due to continuous heavy rainfall, waterlogging, and flooding. The Chattogram City Corporation confirmed that its educational institutions would stay shut until July 9, while the district education officer said the closure was for student safety. The Bangladesh Technical Education Board also postponed diploma examinations scheduled for Thursday at three centers in Chattogram.

According to the board’s notice, the postponed exams include the final tests for Diploma in Textile Engineering and Diploma in Agriculture programs at the Agriculture Training Institute, Chattogram, the Women’s Polytechnic Institute, Chattogram, and the Textile Institute, Chattogram. Exams in other districts under the board are continuing as planned. The new schedule for the postponed exams will be announced later.

Earlier, the Chattogram Education Board suspended all HSC and equivalent exams in flood-affected districts, while other boards continued their tests. Chattogram University also halted all classes, and several private schools postponed midterm and pre-test exams until conditions improve.