United News of Bangladesh

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked 39th on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 64 at 9:20 am this morning (July 8, 2025). Today Dhaka’s air was classified as ‘moderate,’ referring to a light health threat, according to the AQI index. Under the influence of monsoon, the capital’s air quality continued to be ‘moderate.’ When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. Egypt’s Cairo, United Arab Emirates’ Dubai and Uganda’s Kampala cities respectively occupied the first, second and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 160, 158, and 151 respectively. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka’s air quality continues to be ‘moderate’ Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.

The Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2025, China's only national-level international conference dedicated to ecological civilization, began on Saturday in Guiyang, the capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province. This year's forum, held under the theme “Harmonious coexistence between humans and nature — global collaborative development for green transformation,” has drawn around 800 participants from various countries and organizations. Over the two-day event, twenty sub-forums will take place, focusing on critical issues such as sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity protection, and environmental governance. The latest innovations in eco-friendly technologies, including new energy solutions and solid waste management, will also be unveiled and promoted during the forum. Urban Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Hub launched At the opening ceremony, Morris Toiraena, deputy speaker of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands, highlighted the forum's contribution to promoting global green cooperation. “The forum’s long-standing dedication to advancing ecological civilization, in line with China's progressive policies and actions, sets an inspiring example for all of us,” he remarked. Since its launch in 2009, the Eco Forum Global has hosted 12 successful sessions. It has become an important platform for showcasing China’s achievements in ecological civilization and enhancing international collaboration on environmental issues.

Tropical Storm Chantal formed off the southeast U.S. coast and was forecast to bring heavy rains to parts of the Carolinas on Saturday. Tropical storm warnings were issued for portions of the two states, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm's center was located about 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday night, and 120 miles (190 kilometers) south-southwest of Wilmington, North Carolina. Its maximum sustained winds were clocked at 50 mph (85 kph), and it was moving north at 8 mph (13 kph). Tropical Storm Dalila forms and expected to bring rain to southwestern Mexico Rain bands from Chantal were moving over the coast, the hurricane center said, and the storm's center was expected to move over South Carolina overnight or early Sunday with flash floods an increasing concern. The storm was expected to weaken rapidly after landfall. Heavy rain was forecast for the coastal plain of the Carolinas through Monday — total rainfall of 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters), with local amounts up to 6 inches — threatening flash flooding.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast rain or thunder showers with lightning flashes in all divisions including Dhaka of the country in 24 hours commencing 9am on Saturday. “Light to moderate rain/thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely at most places over Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram & Sylhet divisions and at many places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka & Mymensingh divisions with moderately heavy to very heavy falls at places over the country,” said a Met office bulletin. The axis of monsoon trough runs through Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal to Assam across southern part of Bangladesh. Rains likely to drench parts of the country in next 24hr: BMD One of its associated troughs extends up to North Bay, said the bulletin. Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and strong over North Bay, it added. Day temperature may fall slightly and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country. Country’s highest 129 meters rainfall was recorded in Satkhira in 24 hours till 6 am on Saturday.

Setting a remarkable example of environmental transformation, a group of dedicated volunteers from home and beyond have turned a neglected and polluted lakeside area in the capital’s upscale Banani-Gulshan locality into a green, vibrant public park, offering a refreshing model of community-led urban renewal. Despite being perceived as a posh and relatively pollution-free part of Dhaka, the lakes and its adjacent areas in Gulshan and Banani were long plagued by waste, abandonment, and criminal activity. That changed when a visionary community initiative titled ‘55Kodomtola: Greening Gulshan and Banani Lakeside’ began to reclaim and beautify the space. On Friday morning, the recently inaugurated 'Banani Society 55k Adda Park' was buzzing with activity. From 7am, volunteers of all ages and professions were seen painting benches, fences, and walls to beautify the park. Among them was Mahmud Rahman, a renowned photographer and storyteller, and the initiator of the 55Kodomtola project. “As a resident in this Gulshan-Banani lakeside 55 number road, I started cleaning this lakeside area and planting trees in January 2022. Over time, the work has expanded to cover nearly 4 kilometers, with our volunteer count now standing at 160,” Mahmud told UNB. “Then I asked myself—why shouldn’t this lakeside become a park? Why should it remain a dump site?” Mahmud, who specializes in visual anthropology, said their recent effort to build the park was followed by a beautification drive led by volunteers like Julien Deur, Head of the Economic Department at the French Embassy in Bangladesh.  

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast rain or thunder showers with lightning flashes in all divisions, including Dhaka of the country in 24 hours commencing 9am on Friday. “Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at many places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country,” said a met office update. Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, according to the BMD. Dhaka’s air quality continues to be ‘moderate’ All maritime ports have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal number-3 during the period. Cox’s Bazar experienced the highest 136 millimeters of rainfall in the last 24 hours till 6am.   The country’s highest temperature 35.1 degree Celsius was recorded in Mongla over the past 24 hours till 6pm on Thursday while the lowest temperature 23.9 degree Celsius was recorded in Tangail till 6am on Friday.

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked 31st on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 71 at 9:20 am this morning (July 4, 2025). Today Dhaka’s air was classified as ‘moderate,’ referring to a light health threat, according to the AQI index. Such air quality continued for the past few days, indicating an improvement of air quality of the city day by day.   When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. Chile’s Santiago, Egypt’s Cairo and Pakistan’s Lahore cities respectively occupied the first, second and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 189, 156, and 151 respectively. Dhaka’s air quality continues to be ‘moderate’ The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.

Dinajpur district administration has taken an initiative to plant 800,000 saplings across the district on July 19 as part of a massive tree plantation campaign. The initiative aims to enhance greenery, ensure fresh oxygen supply and protect biodiversity, said Deputy Commissioner Rafiqul Islam during a press briefing on Thursday afternoon at the DC's conference room. Saplings of 100 varieties, including fruit-bearing, medicinal and forest trees — excluding eucalyptus and acacia will be planted simultaneously across all 13 upazilas, municipalities, towns and villages. More than 25,000 teachers and 1,000 village police personnel will take part in the programme, with each union planting at least 7,000 saplings. Moreover, the DC urged at least 100,000 citizens to plant seven saplings each to make the campaign successful. 21 individuals, institutions nominated for National Tree Plantation Award The event will conclude with a 10-day tree fair at Gor-e-Shaheed Boro Maidan, organised by the Forest Department, starting on the same day. Additional Deputy Commissioners Mohammad Riaz Uddin and SM Habibul Hasan, Divisional Forest Officer Anwar Hossain Sarkar, Assistant Forest Conservator Nurunnahar, and local leaders were present at the briefing.

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked 23th on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 81, Qatar’s Doha 96 and Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh 91 at 9:04am this morning (July 3, 2025). Qatar’s Doha recorded an AQI score of 96, while Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh posted a score of 91, indicating worse air quality compared to Dhaka at that time. Today Dhaka’s air was classified as ‘moderate,’ referring to a light health threat, according to the AQI index. Such air quality continued for the past few days, indicating an improvement of air quality of the city day by day.  When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. Urban Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Hub launched Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kinshasa, Indonesia’s Jakarta and Uganda’s Kampala occupied the first, second and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 169, 159, and 158 respectively. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.

Oxfam in Bangladesh and the Curtin University of Australia on Wednesday launched the Urban Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Hub in Dhaka with an aim to foster urban resilience with climate action and disaster response following research, innovation, collaboration and advocacy. The Hub launched seeks to address urban climate and disaster challenges through cutting-edge research, inclusive policy advocacy, capacity-building, and community-led innovation. At present it focuses on six core themes: urban heat and pollution, energy transitions, green infrastructure, geospatial science, climate justice, and emergency response systems. Speaking at the launch of the Urban Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Hub in Dhaka, Country Director of Oxfam in Bangladesh Ashish Damle said cities like Dhaka are under siege from overlapping crises—soaring heat, air pollution, unplanned growth, and frequent climate-induced disasters. "These challenges are pushing the most vulnerable communities deeper into risk," Dample said. Cities worldwide teeter on the edge of environmental tipping points with record-breaking temperatures, intensifying floods, and mounting social inequalities, he said. With over 58% of the world’s population now living in urban areas—a number expected to hit 70% by 2050—cities are both victims and vectors of the climate crisis. Bonn Climate Talks criticised by vulnerable nations; YouthNet urges urgent action ahead of COP30 They consume 75% of global energy, produce over 70% of CO₂ emissions, and are increasingly vulnerable to heatwaves, air pollution, sea-level rise, and floods with an exacerbating agent of inequalities, said a press release of Oxfam. 2024 was the hottest year on record, and urban poor and marginal communities like Dhaka's urban poor—many of whom live in informal settlements—face climate risks up to 10 times greater than their wealthier counterparts.  “Urbanization is reshaping our planet—and with it, reshaping our vulnerabilities,” said Professor Martin Van Kranendonk, Head of the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Curtin University. “Urban areas face the brunt of climate change but also house the tools for transformation. The Hub bridges science and community to create locally grounded, globally scalable solutions.” “Urban development today cannot ignore climate resilience,” stated Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, First Secretary and Deputy Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka. “The Hub is vital for fostering integrated planning, especially for vulnerable urban populations.” Addressing the gathering, Md Shahjahan Mia, Administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation, underscored the urgency of collaborative action: “From flooding to heat stress, Dhaka faces the spectrum of climate risks. Mohammad Azaz, Administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation, said: “In urban governance, the best solutions often come from the ground up. We need adaptive strategies, coordinated leadership, and community-driven designs to meet today’s urban challenges.” Dr. Mohammad Emran Hasan, Head of Climate Justice & Natural Resource Rights at Oxfam in Bangladesh and Dr. Ashraf Dewan, Professor at Curtin University gave a detailed presentation on the context, vision, and roadmap of the Hub. Md Sariful Islam, Head of Influencing, Communications, Advocacy and Media, Oxfam in Bangladesh moderated the session.  The second half of the event featured two research presentations followed by a panel discussion. Dr. Fei Yang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences presented critical findings on urban heat stress in informal settlements, while Dr. Mo Hoque from the University of Portsmouth highlighted the role of data and technology. Moderated by Sarder M Asaduzzaman of UNDP Bangladesh, brought together experts including Hasin Jahan (WaterAid Bangladesh), Tomas Wörlund Rylenius (Embassy of Sweden), Dr. Md. Golam Rabbani (Climate Bridge Fund, BRAC), and Mr. Mohammad Barad Hossain Chowdhury (Ministry of Education). Bonayan to distribute 3 million saplings across the country to commemorate World Environment Day The event drew broad participation from civil society, academia, media, development partners, and municipal authorities. The Hub sets a precedent not only for Bangladesh but for other countries facing the triple burden of climate change, urbanization, and social inequality.