Continuous heavy rainfall has triggered a severe risk of landslides in Rajsthali upazila of Rangamati, prompting urgent action from local authorities. The upazila administration has launched operations to relocate residents from high-risk hillside areas to nearby shelters to ensure their safety. The situation has become critical in Ghilachhari and Gaindya unions after five days of uninterrupted rain.

On Wednesday evening, Rajsthali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Yusuf Hasan visited several vulnerable areas, urging residents living at the foot of hills to move immediately to designated shelters. Public awareness campaigns, including loudspeaker announcements, are being conducted to alert people about the dangers of staying in risky zones. Local officials and representatives have been instructed to assist in disaster management efforts.

According to the administration, nine shelters have been prepared across three unions, and around 40 residents have already taken refuge. Fire service teams remain active on the ground to respond to any emergency as relocation of remaining residents continues.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for collective awareness and responsibility to transform Dhaka from an unlivable city into a livable one. He made the remarks on Thursday while inaugurating World Environment Day, the Environment Fair, and the National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair 2026. The Prime Minister emphasized the need for major reforms in waste management and reiterated the government’s strict stance against deforestation and hill cutting. He also urged citizens to plant a tree with every child’s birth.

Rahman highlighted that most people remain unaware of environmental issues and urged everyone to act responsibly to keep the environment pollution-free. He described raising awareness as a sacred duty for those attending the event. During the ceremony, the Prime Minister presented the National Environment Award 2025 to three individuals and three institutions for outstanding contributions in environmental conservation, education, and research.

Award recipients included academics and organizations recognized for pollution control, environmental education, and innovation in environmental research and technology.

Continuous rainfall, hill torrents, and rising sea tides have severely worsened the flood situation in Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram. As of Wednesday night, the main Chattogram–Banshkhali road at Bailchhari went under water, cutting off road communication with the city. More than a hundred thousand residents across several unions are now trapped by floodwaters, facing acute shortages of food and clean water.

According to local officials, the upazila administration is monitoring damaged embankments and affected areas, awaiting government relief supplies for distribution. The Banshkhali Fire Service reported that the situation continues to deteriorate, with rescue teams relocating stranded families to safer places. Many homes and rural roads have been submerged, making it difficult for residents to reach shelters.

In response, the local administration has issued urgent public warnings, urging people in low-lying and high-risk areas to move to nearby shelters. Local representatives have been instructed to assist with announcements and ensure the safe evacuation of waterlogged residents.

Bangladesh Bank has granted President Md. Shahabuddin special permission to withdraw Tk 2 million from his account at Global Islami Bank, exceeding the withdrawal limits set under the bank resolution scheme. The approval was given on June 16, 2026, following his application in late May through the bank’s Gulshan corporate branch, citing medical and family expenses.

Under the resolution scheme, depositors of five merged banks are generally allowed to withdraw up to Tk 200,000, with additional withdrawals of Tk 100,000 permitted every three months for larger deposits. In cases of serious illness, withdrawals of up to Tk 1 million per month may be approved. However, many depositors have complained about difficulties in accessing such special permissions despite medical needs.

Bangladesh Bank Executive Director and spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan confirmed the approval, stating that the President’s position and medical reasons were considered. He added that similar exceptions have been granted previously to other depositors facing critical health conditions.

Global gold prices fell sharply on Thursday, with spot gold dropping 0.3 percent to 4,066.24 dollars per ounce in Asian trading, according to Reuters. The decline followed renewed military tensions between the United States and Iran, after US President Donald Trump declared that the memorandum to halt war with Iran was no longer valid. Shortly afterward, the US military announced new strikes against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflict pushed oil prices higher, with crude rising about 5 percent on Wednesday and continuing upward on Thursday. Analysts warned that prolonged Middle East tensions could further raise oil prices and global inflation, prompting the US Federal Reserve to keep interest rates elevated for longer. The dollar and global stock markets also came under pressure.

The International Monetary Fund reduced its 2026 global growth forecast to 3 percent, while Bank of America cut its average gold price forecast for 2026 by 14 percent to 4,360 dollars per ounce, citing the likelihood of tighter US monetary policy.

Chattogram has been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall for several days, with 336 millimeters recorded in the 24 hours up to 9 a.m. Thursday, according to the Ambagan weather office. Over the previous four days, the city received 834 millimeters of rain, and another 33 millimeters fell between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. The weather office forecast that the intense rainfall will continue until July 11.

Low-lying neighborhoods across the city remain submerged, including Muradpur, Chawk Bazar, Kapasgola, Katalganj, Agrabad, Commerce College Road, 2 No. Gate, Soloshahar, Panchlaish, Patenga, Firozshah, Akbarshah Bishwo Colony, and Uttar Pahartali. The flooding has been attributed to a collapsed drainage system and encroachment on canals and drains.

Normal life has been severely disrupted as homes and businesses in low areas are inundated. Public transport has been largely paralyzed, with many vehicles breaking down in floodwaters. Residents are facing severe hardship, and reports indicate that some transport operators are charging extra fares. Landslides triggered by the rain have already caused three deaths in Sitakunda and Chattogram city.

Global oil prices increased following new US airstrikes in Iran that killed eight Iranian soldiers. According to Reuters, as of 12:54 a.m. GMT, Brent crude rose by 78 cents, or 1 percent, reaching 78.80 dollars per barrel. The US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude also climbed 74 cents, or 1.01 percent, to 74.26 dollars per barrel.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA confirmed that the US strikes occurred early Wednesday in southern Iran, targeting areas near Bandar Abbas and Bushehr. The casualties included members of Iran’s air and naval forces. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks on key US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

The IRGC stated through state broadcaster IRIB that the attacks marked the first phase of a “punitive response,” targeting Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem bases in Kuwait, as well as Juffair and Sheikh Isa bases in Bahrain.

Registration of property gift and donation deeds has been suspended in several parts of Bangladesh for days due to complications arising from the newly imposed donation tax and the introduction of automated e-challan payment systems. The lack of prior understanding of the e-challan process has also led to a sharp decline in the number of sale deeds, reportedly falling to half of previous levels. Overall, deed registration activity at sub-registrar offices has dropped to one-third of normal, resulting in reduced government revenue.

To address the confusion, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued a clarification circular on Tuesday. The circular explains that under the Income Tax Act 2023 and the Withholding Tax Rules 2026, donation tax must be collected via e-challan for property transfers through gifts or donations, but not for sales. It also specifies that land tax receipts must show payment for fiscal year 2026–27, and certain urban property transactions require submission of income tax returns before registration.

Officials expressed hope that the clarification will resolve confusion and restore normal registration activities soon.

India’s stock markets plunged sharply after U.S. President Donald Trump declared the Iran peace deal “over,” erasing about eight lakh crore rupees in market value within hours. On Wednesday, the Nifty index fell 2.12% to 23,882.05 points and the BSE Sensex dropped 2.15% to 76,503.60 points, marking their steepest decline in three months. The announcement also rattled global markets, with major indices in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. futures all falling.

The renewed Middle East tensions pushed Brent crude oil prices up 6.3% to nearly $79 per barrel, the highest in two weeks, after reports of U.S. and Iranian strikes on each other’s targets. As the world’s third-largest oil importer, India faces rising import costs and inflationary pressure when oil prices surge. The rupee weakened 0.62% to 95.555 per U.S. dollar.

Analysts said the developments heightened concerns over energy supply and foreign investor sentiment. Heavy selling by foreign investors, especially in financial and IT sectors, contributed to the broad-based decline across all 16 major sectoral indices.

The Bangladesh government has moved to finalize the draft of the ninth national pay scale, proposing several structural changes. A secretary committee has recommended adjusting the ratio between the highest and lowest basic salaries from 1:8 to 1:7.5, along with revisions to various allowances and a two-phase implementation plan. Although the new pay scale was announced to take effect from July 1, the official gazette has not yet been issued, and the Ministry of Finance expects a delay of two to three months.

The draft also includes differentiated annual increments by grade instead of a uniform rate. Data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ Living Standard Survey 2025 has been used to guide the new structure, reflecting average household expenses. The pay commission proposed a top basic salary of Tk 160,000 and a minimum of Tk 20,000, but the secretary committee is considering Tk 150,000 for the top grade and a slightly lower minimum. Allowances such as medical and education benefits are likely to be lower than the commission’s recommendations but higher than current levels.

Implementation will occur in two stages: basic salary increases in the current fiscal year and allowance adjustments from 2027–28. The proposal is expected to reach the cabinet within two weeks for approval.

Five people, including a child, were killed when a landslide struck two houses in Lama upazila of Bandarban district early Thursday. The incident occurred in Missionpara area of Aziznagar Union following days of heavy rainfall. The victims were identified as Md Yunus, his wife Ranu Akter, their four-year-old son Md Soleman, and another couple, Jewel and his wife Kulsum Akter. A union parishad member, Rehana Begum, was injured in a separate landslide the same night.

Local authorities confirmed the deaths and said police, fire service, and civil defense teams, along with residents, carried out rescue operations. The bodies were later handed over to relatives. Lama police said an unnatural death case would be filed over the incident.

According to the upazila executive officer, residents living at the foot of hills had been repeatedly urged to move to safer areas due to continuous rain, but many ignored the warnings. The administration has pledged full support to the affected families.

Every day, more than four thousand people are settling in Dhaka in search of jobs, education, and a better life, according to field surveys cited in the report. Experts attribute this influx to severe gas and electricity shortages that have halted new industrial growth in districts and forced many existing factories to close. As a result, thousands of unemployed workers are moving to the capital, taking up informal jobs such as hawking and driving autorickshaws.

Urban planners warn that Dhaka, designed to accommodate about eight million residents, now houses over 36.6 million people—thirteen times its capacity. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2026 Global Liveability Index ranked Dhaka 171st out of 173 cities, just above Tripoli and Damascus. The city faces chronic waste, traffic congestion, and flooding problems, with over five thousand slums.

Government officials acknowledge the crisis, citing plans for administrative decentralization and rural job creation to reduce migration pressure. Experts emphasize that without strengthening rural economies and ensuring reliable utilities, Dhaka’s livability will continue to deteriorate.

At a high-level meeting on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday, Bangladesh presented its future plans and historic initiatives to address climate change and ensure water security. Professor Dr. S. M. Abdul Awal, the Prime Minister’s Chief Coordinator on SDG Affairs, represented Bangladesh and highlighted the country’s long-standing efforts in tackling climate challenges.

He recalled the 19-point program announced by former President Ziaur Rahman in 1977, emphasizing its focus on basic needs and rural water security through a nationwide canal excavation initiative. The BNP-led government’s current five-year plan includes excavating 20,000 kilometers of canals to strengthen irrigation and water management networks. Awal also underscored the importance of the Teesta Barrage Project as a people-centered initiative vital for water management and agricultural development in northern Bangladesh.

Concluding his remarks, Awal urged the global community to enhance cooperation on transboundary water-sharing policies to permanently resolve water scarcity in northern Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, told Parliament that contracts with private power companies cannot be canceled at will because they include sovereign guarantees. He made the statement on Wednesday during the parliamentary question-and-answer session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, responding to a supplementary question from MP Mardia Momtaz. The minister explained that canceling such guarantees is a time-consuming process and that discussions are ongoing with the concerned parties to reduce additional fees related to delayed payments.

He added that once a power plant begins production, immediate decisions cannot be made to alter operations, and efforts will continue to keep electricity prices affordable for consumers during the contract period. In response to other parliamentary questions, the minister reported that gas supply remains below demand, with 2,700 million cubic feet supplied daily against a demand of 3,800 million. He also shared updated figures on transmission and distribution losses and confirmed that no quick rental power plants are currently operational.

The minister expressed hope that ongoing discussions would lead to effective solutions regarding payment delays and cost management in the power sector.

Despite continuous heavy rainfall, flash floods, and landslides disrupting communication in Bandarban, law enforcement agencies and various government and non-government organizations are continuing awareness campaigns to ensure the safety of affected residents. Teams from the Bangladesh Army, Fire Service and Civil Defense, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, municipal authorities, and several NGOs are conducting public announcements and direct outreach in disaster-hit areas.

The campaigns focus on urging people living on risky hillsides, steep slopes, and low-lying areas near rivers and canals to move to safer locations. Authorities are encouraging residents to take shelter in temporary centers established by the administration. Field officials report that some residents remain reluctant to leave their homes, prompting repeated appeals to highlight potential dangers and the importance of relocation.

According to the district administration, the awareness activities will continue until weather conditions improve. The coordinated efforts of government and private organizations are playing a key role in motivating local residents to seek safety during this ongoing disaster.