Sixty-nine tourists have been stranded at Nafakhum waterfall in Thanchi upazila of Bandarban after several days of rainfall caused the Sangu River to swell, cutting off access to the upazila headquarters. The affected areas include Padma Jhiri, Raja Patar, Amiya Khum, Nafakhum, and Remakri. Local guides and five engine-powered boats have been dispatched to bring the tourists back safely, according to Clement Tripura, general secretary of the Tourist Guide Welfare Association.

In response to the situation, the Thanchi upazila administration has issued an emergency notice banning travel to all tourist centers, hill trails, river routes, remote areas, and risky locations. A tourist from Dhaka, Ashraf, said their group was unable to return the previous day due to strong currents but managed to come back today. Another guide, Gorbel Tripura, reported that some tourists remain in Nafakhum and other nearby spots, while his group has safely returned.

Authorities are monitoring the situation as rescue efforts continue amid rising water levels and travel restrictions in the region.

U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that Walmart reduced product prices at his administration’s request. In a social media post, Trump said the retail giant agreed to lower prices, including a 15 percent cut on ground beef, to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. However, Walmart’s official statement made no mention of any government involvement, saying the decision was aimed at giving customers and Sam’s Club members better value during the summer season.

The announcement comes as Trump faces criticism over rising inflation during his tenure, which increased from 3 percent to 4.2 percent over the past year. The president has blamed Democrats for high prices and mocked them as “communists” ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Walmart, which benefited from higher consumer traffic amid inflation, said it would also reduce prices on corn, cherries, ice cream, potato chips, and soft drinks.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation remains elevated, though a temporary truce with Iran has eased oil prices slightly, potentially reducing pressure on consumers.

Continuous heavy rainfall over several days has triggered hill torrents and tidal water intrusion through broken embankments, flooding vast areas of Banshkhali in Chattogram. At least 20,000 people in areas including Chanua, Shekherkhil, Napora, Chambal, Shilkup, Jaldi municipality, Premashia, Kadamrasul, and Pukuria have become waterlogged. Thousands of homes are submerged, leaving residents unable to cook and forcing many into hunger. Fish farms and rural roads have also been inundated, cutting off communication in several villages.

Local social workers and union officials reported that entire neighborhoods such as Madhukhali and Napora are isolated, with key roads and bamboo bridges submerged or damaged. Complaints have surfaced that fishing nets placed in sluice gates are obstructing water flow. Residents have urged immediate government intervention and road repairs to restore access and prevent further damage.

In coastal areas like Khan Khanabad and Baharchhara, tidal water has damaged croplands and homes, raising fears of worsening conditions if embankments are not repaired promptly.

Widespread rainfall continued across Bangladesh on July 7, 2026, as a monsoon low over the Bay of Bengal caused heavy downpours in coastal areas including Chattogram. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) reported that the low pressure remained strong, prompting authorities to maintain local cautionary signal number 3 at all maritime ports. Fishermen and trawlers in the northern Bay were advised to stay near the coast and navigate carefully due to rough sea conditions.

According to the latest BMD forecast signed by meteorologist Khondoker Hafizur Rahman, the monsoon depression had weakened into a well-marked low over eastern Madhya Pradesh after moving northwest from Odisha and Jharkhand. However, pressure variations over the northern Bay continued to generate gusty winds. Over the previous 24 hours, Chattogram recorded 283 millimeters of rain, Kutubdia 195, Sandwip 167, Bandarban 128, and Ambagan 177, while Dhaka saw 14 millimeters.

The BMD warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall may persist for 48 hours in Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions, potentially disrupting daily life and flooding low-lying areas. The department said it is monitoring conditions continuously and will issue updates as needed.

A woman named Nasima Akter, aged 27, was killed in a landslide triggered by continuous heavy rainfall in Cox’s Bazar’s Jhilongja Union under Sadar upazila on Tuesday, July 7. The incident occurred around 1 p.m. in the Dorianagar Borochhara area, where her house was buried under a collapsed hillside. Her husband and child were seriously injured and taken to Cox’s Bazar District Hospital, where Nasima was declared dead by doctors.

Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tahmina Akter confirmed the incident and said the administration had earlier warned residents in risky hilly areas to move to safer locations, but many did not comply. Continuous rainfall has caused multiple landslides across the district.

According to official information, a total of 11 people have died in landslides across Cox’s Bazar over the past two days, including eight in Ukhiya’s Rohingya camps, two in Cox’s Bazar town, and one in Pekua upazila.

Telecommunication, Information Technology, and Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam announced that the Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant will be connected to Bangladesh’s national grid by the end of August. He shared the update on Tuesday morning during a discussion with ICT and telecom journalists at the ICT Tower in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The minister explained that the government is closely monitoring ongoing projects to prevent wasteful spending and ensure timely completion. As part of this effort, uranium has already been loaded into the nuclear reactor. If all processes proceed as planned, the plant will begin supplying electricity to the national grid by late August.

He also mentioned that, following the Prime Minister’s directive, work will soon begin on creating a “One ID” system that will store all information about a citizen from birth to death.

Boat movement between Teknaf and Saint Martin in Cox’s Bazar has been suspended for six consecutive days due to rough weather, severely disrupting daily life on the country’s only coral island. The suspension has particularly affected Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinees who are struggling to reach examination centers.

Local social worker M. Nur Mohammad said that the halt in boat operations has caused extreme hardship for both students and residents. Acting chairman of Saint Martin Union Parishad, Fayezul Islam, stated that the suspension began last Thursday and warned that if it continues, the island could face a serious food shortage. Upazila Nirbahi Officer S. M. Anik Chowdhury confirmed that the suspension is temporary and that authorities have been informed about the students’ situation.

Officials indicated that the resumption of boat services depends on weather improvement, while residents remain concerned about essential supplies and mobility.

Continuous heavy rainfall has severely disrupted life in the port city of Chattogram. Since Tuesday morning, water has inundated major areas including Agrabad, Chawkbazar, Bakalia, Chandgaon, Patenga, and Kuwaish. Roads have gone underwater, homes and shops have been flooded, and traffic has come to a standstill. Many residents, especially workers, struggled to reach their workplaces due to waterlogging and a shortage of public transport.

The worst-affected areas include Agrabad, Chawkbazar, Bakalia, Kazirhat, Halishahar, Chandgaon, Sunnia Madrasa Road, Akmal Ali Road, Patenga, and Kuwaish. Furniture and goods in homes and businesses have been damaged. According to the Patenga weather office, 330.8 millimeters of rainfall were recorded in the 24 hours up to 9 a.m., while the Ambagan office reported 259 millimeters during the same period. Officials expect the rain to continue for another two to three days.

Chattogram City Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain said that 30 percent of work on the Mirza Canal remains incomplete, which has contributed to waterlogging in parts of the city. He added that city authorities are working continuously to reduce flooding impacts.

Petrobangla announced on Tuesday that the supply of regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) from the Maheshkhali LNG terminals has dropped by about 300 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD). The company stated in a press release that this reduction has caused low gas pressure across the country, affecting all categories of consumers.

According to the statement, adverse weather conditions have significantly disrupted RLNG supply from the Maheshkhali terminals, leading to the current situation. Petrobangla warned that until the situation improves, residential, commercial, and industrial users nationwide may continue to experience low gas pressure.

Petrobangla expressed sincere regret for the temporary inconvenience caused to consumers and assured that normal supply would resume once conditions improve.

Authorities in Chattogram city have announced a one-day closure of all secondary schools on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, due to continuous heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions. The decision covers government, city corporation-run, and private institutions, with all scheduled examinations postponed for the day. The move aims to ensure student safety and reduce travel difficulties caused by flooding and poor weather.

Kissinger Chakma, Education Officer of Chattogram City Corporation, confirmed that the closure was declared prioritizing student safety amid the natural disaster. He added that if weather conditions improve, school activities and postponed exams will resume according to a revised schedule. A notice circulated in the Chattogram Teachers’ Association WhatsApp group also prompted private school principals to declare the closure.

Ariful Ul Hasan Chowdhury, Principal of Bawa School, said heavy rain and waterlogging made student travel risky, leading to the closure. Schools have advised parents to follow official notices for further updates.

The fecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP) project in Nilphamari municipality has been shut down due to shortages of modern machinery, skilled technical staff, and waste segregation systems. The Tk 11 crore project, designed to reduce environmental pollution and produce organic fertilizer from human waste, has failed to deliver expected results and is now non-operational.

According to municipal sources, the FSTP was built in 2023 on 2.89 acres of land as part of a planned sanitation initiative. It aimed to collect human waste from households and institutions using vacuum tankers, treat it in an environmentally friendly way, and convert it into organic fertilizer. However, the plant could not function effectively as collected waste remained untreated and piled up.

Officials cited the absence of modern equipment to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste as the main obstacle. With about 95 percent of the collected waste consisting of plastic and other non-degradable materials, manual separation proved impractical. Authorities noted that proper machinery could enable fertilizer production and generate municipal revenue.

Revenue collection at Benapole Customs House, the country’s largest land port, fell drastically in the 2025–26 fiscal year. Against a government target of Tk 11,290 crore, only Tk 6,559 crore was collected, leaving a shortfall of Tk 4,731 crore. Import and export activities also declined significantly, with total imports dropping by about 197,000 tons compared to the previous year.

Officials and traders attributed the revenue slump to reduced imports, global trade slowdown, foreign currency shortages, changes in tariff structures, and irregularities. Imports of high-duty items such as industrial raw materials, electronics, machinery parts, and chemicals fell sharply, directly cutting customs and VAT income. Business leaders said daily truck movements for both imports and exports have nearly halved compared to the previous year.

Customs authorities stated that investigations into weight-scale manipulation and other irregularities are ongoing, with legal actions already initiated in some cases. Stakeholders emphasized that improved digital monitoring, transparency, and anti-corruption measures could help restore revenue performance.

Bangladesh’s overall inflation rate declined slightly in June 2026, standing at 9.16 percent on a point-to-point basis, according to data released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) on Monday. This marks a 0.26 percentage point drop from May’s 9.42 percent, though inflation has remained above 9 percent for three consecutive months. In March, the rate was 8.71 percent.

The BBS report shows that both food and non-food inflation decreased in June. Food inflation fell to 8.60 percent from 9.06 percent in May, while non-food inflation eased to 9.61 percent from 9.71 percent. Inflation declined in both rural and urban areas, with rural inflation at 9.23 percent and urban inflation at 9.01 percent. Analysts attribute the persistent high inflation to rising prices of essential goods and fuel, which continue to pressure low- and middle-income households.

BBS data also indicate that the 12-month average inflation from July 2025 to June 2026 was 8.68 percent, down from 10.03 percent in the previous year, suggesting a modest improvement in annual inflation trends.

The initiative to introduce a single-point enlistment system for auditors and audit firms in Bangladesh has stalled, despite a target to implement it by January 15, 2026. According to the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the delay stems from the absence of recommendations from the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) and the NGO Affairs Bureau regarding special qualification requirements. FRC Chairman Sajjad Hossain Bhuiyan said the council has renewed its request to these agencies and will issue an order once their inputs are received.

The single-point enlistment plan was approved during the interim government period to streamline the registration process under the FRC, eliminating the need for auditors to register separately with multiple regulatory bodies. Representatives from the FRC, Bangladesh Bank, BSEC, IDRA, NBR, MRA, NGO Bureau, ICAB, and ICMAB participated in the initial meeting that set the January 2026 deadline. While some agencies, including BSEC and Bangladesh Bank, have submitted their conditions, IDRA and the NGO Bureau have yet to respond.

The FRC argues that the unified enlistment would reduce duplication, lower administrative costs, and save time for auditors and firms currently required to meet 33 conditions and submit 48 documents across different regulators.

An article published on July 7, 2026, highlights the persistent problem of polythene bag use in Bangladesh despite existing legal bans. Under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act of 1995, the government has the authority to prohibit the production, import, and sale of environmentally harmful polythene and plastic materials. Although enforcement initially reduced usage after severe flooding in 2004, weak monitoring since 2008 has allowed illegal production and free distribution to return.

The article notes that one-time-use polythene bags have become pervasive across cities and rural areas, clogging drains and polluting soil and waterways. Efforts by the interim government’s trade and environment advisers to promote jute bags have faced public resistance due to cost differences. The author argues that instead of maintaining a full ban, the government could impose high tariffs, taxes, and VAT on polythene bags so that their retail price exceeds 20–30 taka, discouraging use and encouraging consumers to switch to reusable jute alternatives.

Such a policy could simultaneously reduce environmental damage and generate significant government revenue, similar to existing high-tax models on cigarettes and soft drinks.