Chattogram city experienced severe waterlogging again on Wednesday morning following heavy rain. By 1 p.m., knee-deep water was reported at Probortok Moor, where roads were empty of vehicles and pedestrians. Shops were partially flooded, and some owners stood helplessly by their half-closed shutters. Only a few rickshaws and motorcycles attempted to move through the water, often stalling mid-road.

The flooding extended beyond Probortok Moor to nearby areas including Muradpur, Soloshahar, Bahaddarhat, Chawk Bazar, and Katalganj. Residents reported water entering ground floors and kitchens, disrupting daily life. A business owner said his warehouse goods worth several lakh taka were damaged without insurance or compensation. Locals expressed frustration over recurring inundation and the lack of a permanent solution.

Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain stated that the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) is responsible for the waterlogging mitigation project, though he feels a moral duty to stand by citizens during such crises.

Opposition lawmaker Hafez Rabiul Bashar, representing Satkhira-3 constituency, suddenly fell ill during the ongoing session of the 13th National Parliament on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, around 1:40 p.m. Fellow members of parliament and staff from the Parliament Secretariat quickly assisted him out of the chamber and into the lobby, where doctors provided initial medical treatment.

During the break for the Zuhr prayer, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman personally visited the parliamentary lobby to inquire about the opposition MP’s condition. He also gave instructions to ensure that Bashar received the necessary medical support. The Chief Whip and other whips of the National Parliament were present at the time.

The incident briefly interrupted the session but was handled promptly, with medical attention provided on-site. No further details about the MP’s health condition were disclosed in the report.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cook met Prime Minister’s Defense Adviser Dr. A.K.M. Shamsul Islam on Wednesday at the Armed Forces Division office in Dhaka Cantonment. The meeting focused on strengthening defense cooperation and deepening existing military relations between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom.

On the same day, a high-level United States delegation also held a meeting with the defense adviser. During the discussion, the delegation was briefed on the priorities of Bangladesh’s armed forces and explored potential areas of collaboration through the Indo-Pacific Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) to enhance military capability and skills. Both sides expressed optimism about expanding and reinforcing defense cooperation between Bangladesh and the United States.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR), the meeting was attended by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Green, head of the United States Military Group at the US Embassy in Dhaka, DSCU Regional Program Lead and Assistant Professor Michael Rembold, and two other representatives.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed regret to the residents of Chattogram for the ongoing waterlogging problem in the city. Speaking in the National Parliament on Wednesday, he responded to a point of order raised by Chattogram–10 MP Saeed Al Noman, who described the city’s severe flooding and urged immediate government action. The Prime Minister acknowledged the suffering of residents and said efforts were underway to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

Rahman noted that waterlogging was not limited to Chattogram but affected other parts of the country, including Dhaka. He recalled that former President Ziaur Rahman had previously addressed such problems through canal excavation and reservoir creation, and said the current government had resumed similar initiatives. He emphasized that public awareness was crucial, as indiscriminate dumping of plastic and waste continued to block canals and drains despite cleaning efforts.

The Prime Minister also addressed concerns about heavy rainfall in haor regions, assuring that affected farmers in several districts would receive government assistance over the next three months.

Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmad Azam Khan announced in parliament that the government will prepare a complete list of martyred freedom fighters and genocide victims of the 1971 Liberation War. He said the initiative aims to create an accurate and accepted record that will ensure proper recognition and honor for those who sacrificed their lives. The statement came during a question-and-answer session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.

According to the minister, the ministry’s gazette currently lists 6,480 martyred freedom fighters, including 3,698 civilians, 1,541 members of the armed forces, 817 from the Border Guard Bangladesh, 423 police personnel, and one Ansar member. He also informed that 6,476 names have been canceled from the gazette, red freedom certificates, or Indian lists since 2010 based on recommendations from the Freedom Fighters Council, including 481 cancellations since August 2024.

The initiative is expected to formalize the recognition process for all martyrs and victims, ensuring historical accuracy and administrative transparency in the Liberation War records.

Jamaat-e-Islami central executive council member and Dhaka North city chief Mohammad Selim Uddin has accused the government of acting against public opinion regarding the July Charter. Speaking on Wednesday at a unit leaders’ gathering organized by Jamaat’s Badda South Thana unit in the Shadi Mahal auditorium on DIT Project Road, he said the government’s stance reflects a fascist and authoritarian mindset. He urged full implementation of the July Charter in line with public expectations and warned that the government would not escape accountability if it failed to do so.

Selim Uddin stated that people across the country are eagerly waiting for change and that Dhaka residents look to Jamaat to secure their rights. He added that Jamaat continues its uncompromising struggle to establish an Islamic welfare state based on justice. Criticizing the BNP-led alliance government, he said it has failed to solve basic public problems and deceived citizens about the energy crisis, as people still face fuel shortages despite official claims of sufficient reserves.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told parliament that the government’s Family Card program is a form of state investment aimed at strengthening local industries and creating employment. Responding to questions from lawmakers, he said the initiative would gradually cover 40 million families, starting with vulnerable groups, and would not cause inflationary pressure. The prime minister emphasized that the program’s spending would circulate within the domestic economy, benefiting rural markets and local manufacturers.

Lawmakers raised concerns about the program’s financial scale, estimating annual costs of up to 1.34 trillion taka including processing expenses, and questioned whether funds would be diverted from existing social safety programs. Rahman replied that the government’s calculations show no major budgetary strain, as overlapping benefits in current welfare schemes would be streamlined.

He added that the Family Card recipients typically purchase essential, locally made goods, ensuring that the funds support domestic production rather than imports. According to him, this approach will help reduce inflation while promoting local industrialization and employment growth.

In Dirai upazila of Sunamganj, heavy rainfall has submerged 600 hectares of ripe paddy fields during the current harvesting season. According to the Upazila Agriculture Extension Department, the total cultivated area in the region is 30,178 hectares, with 16,738 hectares currently under standing crops. On Tuesday, the area recorded 30 millimeters of rainfall, which led to waterlogging in many fields.

Farmers reported that the excessive rain caused water accumulation in the fields before the paddy had fully matured, preventing harvesting machines from entering the waterlogged areas. Additionally, a shortage of laborers has made it difficult for farmers to harvest the ripe paddy in time. A farmer from Bharam Haor in Sarmangal Union expressed distress, saying most of his land is underwater and that drying harvested paddy has become impossible due to lack of sunlight and drying space.

The situation has raised concerns about potential crop losses and food insecurity among local farmers if the water does not recede soon.

RAB-11 has recovered a pistol and a round of shotgun ammunition that were looted from Siddhirganj Police Station during the July uprising in Narayanganj. The recovery took place around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday night in the Wabda Colony area of Siddhirganj, where the items were found abandoned.

According to RAB, a patrol team received secret information about a suspicious object resembling a weapon wrapped in tape near the wall of the abandoned Monowara Jute Mill entrance in the RPO Wabda Colony area. Acting on the tip-off, the team informed higher authorities and recovered the object in the presence of locals. Upon unwrapping the tape, they found a 7.62 cm automatic 54 China pistol and one round of 12-bore shotgun cartridge, which were seized as evidence.

RAB stated that the recovered items have been handed over to Siddhirganj Police Station for further legal action.

The Directorate General of Health Education in Bangladesh has announced that every new medical student will plant a tree on their first day of class in the 2025–26 academic year. The initiative will be part of a centrally organized orientation event connecting all medical colleges online, followed by individual welcome programs at each institution. The program aims to instill environmental responsibility among future doctors while marking the beginning of their medical education.

According to Professor Dr. Nazmul Hossain, Director General of the Directorate, the tree-planting initiative was introduced last year and received positive response. The broader discussion also covered government efforts to improve medical education quality, including infrastructure upgrades for older colleges and expansion projects to accommodate more students. Currently, Bangladesh has 37 public and 112 total medical colleges offering MBBS degrees.

The initiative reflects the government’s emphasis on combining academic development with social and environmental awareness among medical students, aligning with national goals for sustainable education and healthcare improvement.

The government of Bangladesh will provide three months of assistance to farmers in the haor region who have suffered losses due to recent natural disasters and hailstorms. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced the decision in the National Parliament on Wednesday afternoon, April 29, 2026.

The announcement followed a proposal made the previous day by Fazlur Rahman, Member of Parliament for Kishoreganj-4, who urged the formation of a separate 'Haor Ministry' covering 35 districts to improve the livelihoods of people in the disaster-affected haor areas. He described the severe hardship faced by farmers whose single annual crop has been destroyed by heavy rain and hail, leaving them dependent on others for food and clothing throughout the year.

The Prime Minister’s statement indicates immediate government attention to the crisis, while the proposal for a dedicated ministry suggests a possible long-term institutional response to recurring natural disasters in the haor region.

Police in Raiganj upazila of Sirajganj recovered the throat-slit body of autorickshaw driver Naeem Hossain on Wednesday morning from the bank of Khaichala Beel in Sonakhara Union. The discovery followed a report from locals who found the body and alerted authorities. Additional Superintendent of Police Saiful Islam Khan and Officer-in-Charge Ahsanuzzaman led the police team that recovered the body.

According to local sources, Naeem, aged 25 and a resident of Maltinagar village in Dhubil Union, had left home with his autorickshaw on Tuesday morning but did not return that night. His body was found the next day, causing grief among his relatives and shock in the community.

Police suspect that Naeem was killed in a planned attack aimed at stealing his autorickshaw. The body has been sent for autopsy, and efforts are underway to identify and arrest those involved. The incident has sparked concern and anger among local residents.

Water levels in two major rivers of Netrokona district have risen above the danger mark, according to local authorities on April 29, 2026. The Bhugai-Kangsha River was flowing 82 centimeters above the danger level at the Jaria-Jhanjail point, while the Someshwari River was 50 centimeters and the Magra River 2 centimeters above the danger level. The Water Development Board confirmed that 68 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in Jaria-Jhanjail and 55 millimeters in Durgapur.

The district’s agriculture department reported that in the current season, 21,065 hectares of land in Kolmakanda have been cultivated with Boro paddy, including 4,630 hectares in the haor areas. As of noon on the reporting day, only 45 percent of the paddy had been harvested. Heavy rainfall has already submerged 600 hectares of ripe paddy fields.

Officials are monitoring the situation closely as rising river levels and continued rainfall pose risks to unharvested crops in the low-lying haor regions.

Heavy rain and stormy weather have affected Bangladesh since early morning on April 29, 2026, with continuous rainfall in Dhaka and coastal districts in the south. The Meteorological Department has issued warnings for heavy to very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and possible landslides in hilly areas. Maritime ports have been advised to hoist signal number three, while river ports have been placed under signal number one. Ferry and launch services on the Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes were suspended from 6 a.m. due to strong winds and heavy rain.

Meteorologists Dr. Omar Faruk and Dr. Bazlur Rashid described the situation as disastrous, urging public caution against lightning strikes. Rainfall data show Bhola recorded the highest at 152 millimeters, followed by Feni, Srimangal, and Comilla. The weather office forecasts continued rain until May 3, with the possibility of temporary waterlogging and landslides in Chattogram. The Bay of Bengal remains rough due to pressure differences, prompting warnings for fishing boats to stay near the coast.

Temperatures are expected to drop further nationwide as the low-pressure system persists, ending the recent heatwave that had gripped several regions.

Independent Member of Parliament Rumin Farhana from Brahmanbaria-2 has demanded that the recently signed trade agreement between Bangladesh and the United States be brought before Parliament. Speaking on a point of order during Wednesday’s session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, she argued that the deal, signed on February 9—three days before the national election—contains clauses contrary to Bangladesh’s interests. She noted that the government retains the option to cancel the agreement within 60 days if it chooses.

Farhana referred to a meeting held the previous day between the US ambassador and Bangladesh’s commerce minister, where issues such as trade imbalance, agricultural and energy imports, business environment reforms, and investment policies were discussed. She emphasized that the agreement was signed by an interim government despite objections from civil society and think tanks, who argued that such a government lacked the mandate to finalize international deals.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed ruled that her remarks did not constitute a valid point of order and advised her to submit a formal notice instead. Her request to table the agreement in Parliament was not accepted.