United News of Bangladesh

Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked second among the world’s most polluted cities on Wednesday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 282 at 8:18 am. Today, the city’s air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’, indicating a serious health threat, according to the AQI report. Delhi in India, Kolkata in India and Karachi in Pakistan occupied the first, third, and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 326, 193, and 176 respectively. According to the AQI scale, a reading between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, with generally acceptable air quality, though sensitive individuals should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. AQI levels of 101–150 are ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151–200 is ‘unhealthy’, 201–300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and readings above 301 are considered ‘hazardous’, posing severe health risks. Dhaka ranks second globally for air pollution with AQI at 288 The AQI, which reports daily air quality, informs residents how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health effects. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution. Air quality usually deteriorates in winter and improves during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution causes about seven million deaths worldwide each year, primarily from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.

A mild tremor shook Sylhet and its adjacent areas on Tuesday. According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), the tremor was recorded at 5:32 pm with a magnitude of 4.0 on the Richter scale. The epicentre of the earthquake was Gowainghat upazila of Sylhet division, 214 km North-East from BMD Seismic Centre, Agargaon, Dhaka, according to BMD. Another earthquake jolts Bangladesh

As floodwaters repeatedly inundate homes in the haor basin and drought tightens its grip on the high Barind survival for millions in rural Bangladesh has become an annual test of endurance. Climate change has turned once-predictable seasons into cycles of uncertainty—washing away crops in one region while parching fields in another. Against this backdrop, the government has approved a Tk 1,268.80 crore Climate Resilient and Livelihood Enhancement Project (CRALEP), aiming to reduce poverty and strengthen climate resilience among vulnerable communities living in flood-prone haor and drought-prone high Barind areas. The project, to be implemented from January 2026 to December 2030, will be executed by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) under the Local Government Division. It will cover 33 upazilas in eight districts in Mymensingh, Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and Rajshahi divisions. The project is jointly funded by the government, international lenders and development partners. Idle machines, rising waters: A losing battle to protect Noluar Haor Of the total project cost, Tk 305 crore will come from the government, Tk 854 crore as a loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and Tk 109.80 crore as a grant from Denmark’s development agency, DANIDA. Officials involved in the project say CRALEP aligns with national development plans and climate strategies, placing particular emphasis on resilient infrastructure, food security and livelihood diversification at a time when climate-induced disasters are becoming more frequent and severe. The project seeks to address poverty not as an isolated economic issue, but as a consequence of repeated climate shocks. In the haor areas, early floods often destroy standing boro crops, while in the Barind tract, prolonged dry spells undermine agricultural productivity and household incomes. To improve connectivity and market access, CRALEP will construct or upgrade 334 kilometres of rural roads—141 kilometres in haor regions and 193 kilometres in Barind areas. Another 58 rural markets will be developed or rehabilitated, alongside the construction of 34 ghats to support water-based transport in flood-prone zones. The project also places strong emphasis on livelihoods. Vocational training will be provided to 40,000 youths, while 20,150 youths will receive entrepreneurship training to encourage self-employment. Besides, nearly 3,000 members of Labour Contracting Societies will receive sustainable livelihood support. Recognising the acute vulnerability of haor settlements during monsoon floods, the project includes the provision of internal village services in 320 haor villages. These include walkways, toilet blocks and tube-wells, along with the construction of 72 kilas—raised platforms used for temporary crop storage and shelter during floods. Further interventions include the construction of 72 kilometres of internal walkways, installation of 480 toilets and 720 tube-wells in haor regions, and ecosystem-based village protection measures in 280 haor villages as part of nature-based solutions to disaster risk. Illegal topsoil extraction threatens ‘Gaillar Haor’, croplands in Sunamganj A senior Planning Commission official said the project would make a meaningful contribution to safeguarding development gains in some of the country’s most climate-exposed regions. “Once implemented, the project will help reduce poverty, enhance climate resilience and address disaster-related challenges in flood-prone haor and drought-prone high Barind areas,” the official said, adding that it would also promote diversified and sustainable livelihoods and improve overall community wellbeing. Bangladesh, one of the world’s fastest-growing developing economies, remains among the countries most exposed to climate change. Recurrent flooding, erratic rainfall and rising temperatures continue to threaten rural livelihoods and infrastructure.

Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked fourth among the world’s most polluted cities on Friday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 204 at 09:08 am. Today, the city’s air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’, indicating a serious health threat, according to the AQI report. Lahore in Pakistan, Hanoi in Vietnam, and Cairo in Egypt occupied the first, second, and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 362, 289, and 210 respectively. According to the AQI scale, a reading between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, with generally acceptable air quality, though sensitive individuals should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. AQI levels of 101–150 are ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151–200 is ‘unhealthy’, 201–300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and readings above 301 are considered ‘hazardous’, posing severe health risks. Unhealthy air puts Dhaka third on global pollution list The AQI, which reports daily air quality, informs residents how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health effects. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution. Air quality usually deteriorates in winter and improves during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution causes about seven million deaths worldwide each year, primarily from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.

Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked second among the world’s most polluted cities on Monday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 262 at 9:02 am. Today, the city’s air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’, indicating a serious health threat, according to the AQI report. Kinshasa in Congo, Ulaanbaatar in Mogolia, and Cairo in Egypt occupied the first, third, and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of310, 262, and 265 respectively. According to the AQI scale, a reading between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, with generally acceptable air quality, though sensitive individuals should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. AQI levels of 101–150 are ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151–200 is ‘unhealthy’, 201–300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and readings above 301 are considered ‘hazardous’, posing severe health risks. The AQI, which reports daily air quality, informs residents how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health effects. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. Dhaka's air quality remains ‘very unhealthy’ Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution. Air quality usually deteriorates in winter and improves during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution causes about seven million deaths worldwide each year, primarily from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.

Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked second among the world’s most polluted cities on Friday morning. At 8:22 am, Dhaka recorded an air quality index (AQI) score of 190 and classified it as ‘unhealthy’ as reported by IQAir. Delhi in India, Kuwait City in Kuwait, and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia occupied the first, third, and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 194, 186, and 181 respectively. According to the AQI scale, a reading between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, with generally acceptable air quality, though sensitive individuals should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. Air quality worsens as Dhaka tops global pollution ranking AQI levels of 101–150 are ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151–200 is ‘unhealthy’, 201–300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and readings above 301 are considered ‘hazardous’, posing severe health risks. The AQI, which reports daily air quality, informs residents how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health effects. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution. Air quality usually deteriorates in winter and improves during the monsoon season. Dhaka’s air continues to be ‘very unhealthy’ The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution causes about seven million deaths worldwide each year, primarily from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.

Dhaka, the densely populated capital of Bangladesh, ranked first among the world’s most polluted cities on Wednesday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 305 at 8:13 am. Today, the city’s air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’, indicating a serious health threat, according to the AQI report. Cairo in Egypt, Kolkata in India and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia occupied the second, third and fourth position on the list, with AQI scores of 267, 226, and 214 respectively. According to the AQI scale, a reading between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, with generally acceptable air quality, though sensitive individuals should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. AQI levels of 101–150 are ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151–200 is ‘unhealthy’, 201–300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and readings above 301 are considered ‘hazardous’, posing severe health risks. Dhaka tops global air pollution list with ‘very unhealthy’ AQI The AQI, which reports daily air quality, informs residents how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health effects. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution. Air quality usually deteriorates in winter and improves during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution causes about seven million deaths worldwide each year, primarily from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.

Freezing rain hit parts of Texas on Friday as a powerful, multi-day winter storm began moving across the country, threatening roughly half of the U.S. population with snow, sleet, ice, dangerously cold temperatures, and widespread power outages. Forecasters warned that damage—particularly from heavy ice—could be severe, potentially rivaling the destruction caused by hurricanes. The storm disrupted daily life across large parts of the country. Schools in Chicago and other Midwestern cities canceled classes, airlines grounded thousands of flights, churches shifted services online, and major events such as the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville proceeded without audiences. Mardi Gras-related parades in Louisiana were postponed or called off. Weather alerts were widespread, with about 182 million people under ice and snow warnings and more than 210 million facing cold weather advisories, often overlapping. Power companies prepared for outages, as ice-laden trees and power lines can collapse even after storms subside. In Dallas, residents stocked up on essentials as conditions worsened. “We’re staying in and keeping out of the way,” said one shopper as freezing rain made roads slick in cities like Lubbock. After sweeping through the South, the storm was forecast to move northeast, potentially dropping up to a foot of snow from Washington, D.C., to New York and Boston. The first phase of the storm involved an influx of Arctic air from Canada, bringing dangerous wind chills to the Midwest. In some areas, temperatures felt as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 Celsius), prompting school closures and making prolonged outdoor exposure hazardous. Despite the extreme cold, thousands gathered in Minneapolis for a planned protest, while elsewhere travel disruptions mounted. Nearly 5,000 flights were delayed or canceled nationwide on Friday, with thousands more canceled for the weekend. Read More: Weather likely to remain unchanged: BMD State and federal agencies prepared emergency responses. Road crews treated highways, National Guard units were deployed to assist motorists, and nearly 30 federal search-and-rescue teams were placed on standby. FEMA pre-positioned millions of meals, hundreds of thousands of blankets, and generators along the storm’s path. President Donald Trump said his administration was coordinating closely with state and local officials. Officials warned that ice accumulation could bring down power lines and burst pipes, and that recovery would be slow even after the storm passes. In many Southern states, most homes rely on electric heating, increasing the risk during outages. Remembering the deadly Texas power grid failure five years ago, state leaders pledged improved preparedness. Utility companies brought in extra crews to help maintain service. In the Northeast, cities braced for potentially their heaviest snowfall in years. Boston declared a cold emergency, while Connecticut and neighboring states prepared for possible travel restrictions. Philadelphia announced school closures, encouraging students to stay safe and enjoy the snow responsibly. As temperatures plunged, shelters opened for vulnerable populations. In Detroit, emergency cots were set up for those without housing, while elsewhere residents chose to ride out the storm at home or on campus with friends. Universities across the South canceled classes or urged students to leave dorms amid power concerns. Some students, however, opted to stay together and face the storm collectively.

The government has promulgated ‘Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Conservation Ordinance, 2026’ as part of its tough stance to protect the country’s ecological balance and conserve haors and wetlands. The new ordinance strengthens the Haor and Wetland Development Directorate and introduces tough punishment, including imprisonment and heavy fines for encroachment, land filling and environmental damage in haor and wetland areas. Under the law, the directorate has been given clearly defined responsibilities. Based on lists prepared by deputy commissioners, the government will publish a final gazette of haors and wetlands.  A master plan will be prepared to ensure protection and integrated management of wetlands and obtaining the directorate’s opinion will now be mandatory before taking up any development project. The ordinance also empowers the government to declare any haor or wetland a protected area if special conservation is required based on the opinions of the relevant authorities. The law provides for strict punishment depending on the nature of the offence. Anyone found illegally occupying haor or similar land, filling wetlands, carrying out unauthorised excavation, or constructing infrastructure that disrupts the natural flow of wetland water will face up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to Tk 10 lakh  or both. The same punishment will apply to those who extract soil, sand, stone or any other natural resources without proper permission. Read more: Govt promulgates ordinance with fines for illegal tree cutting Besides, using banned nets, poison bait or electric shocks to catch fish, hunting migratory birds in haor areas, or destroying swamp forests will be punishable with up to two years’ jail and a fine of up to Tk 500,000. If natural resources are extracted in a manner that disrupts fish breeding, the offender will face up to one year’s imprisonment or a fine of up to Tk 500,000. To curb environmental pollution anyone whose actions pollute haor water or soil will be punished with up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to Tk 200,000. Violating any special protection order or directive issued by the directorate, or breaching restrictions in areas declared as protected will also face up to two years’ jail and a fine ranging from Tk 500,000 to Tk 10,0000. If any individual or institution causes damage to the wetland ecosystem, the director general of the directorate will be able to assess the extent of the damage and order its recovery. He will also be empowered to direct necessary measures to restore the affected area, which must be complied with.

Because of harsh environment in Greenland, lack of key infrastructure and difficult geology have so far prevented anyone from building a mine to extract the sought-after rare earth elements that many high-tech products require. Besides President Donald Trump prevails in his effort to take control of the arctic island, those challenges won’t go away. Trump has made reducing China’s dominance over the global rare earth supply a top priority since the world’s second-largest economy sharply limited access to those materials after the United States imposed broad tariffs last spring. His administration has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the sector and has even acquired stakes in several companies. Now, the president is suggesting that taking control of Greenland from Denmark could be the answer. “We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not,” Trump said Friday. Greenland is unlikely to produce rare earths anytime soon, if at all. Although some companies are exploring its estimated 1.5 million tons of deposits, most projects remain at an early stage. Trump’s interest in the island may be driven more by efforts to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic than by access to rare earths like neodymium and terbium used in advanced technologies. “The fixation on Greenland has always been more about geopolitical posturing — a military-strategic interest and stock-promotion narrative — than a realistic supply solution for the tech sector,” said Tracy Hughes, founder and executive director of the Critical Minerals Institute. “The hype far outstrips the hard science and economics behind these critical minerals.” Trump confirmed those geopolitical concerns at the White House Friday. Read More: Trump threatens to take Greenland by force “We don’t want Russia or China going to Greenland, which if we don’t take Greenland, you can have Russia or China as your next door neighbor. That’s not going to happen,” Trump said A difficult place to build a mine Mining in Greenland faces major hurdles, including extreme remoteness, limited infrastructure, environmental risks, and harsh weather. Rare earths there are locked in complex eudialyte rock with no proven profitable extraction method. While Critical Metals’ shares jumped after plans for a pilot plant, it and other companies remain far from building a mine and would need massive investment. Producing rare earths is a tough business Even the most promising rare earth projects can struggle to be profitable, especially when China floods the market with excess supply to lower prices and push competitors out, a tactic it has used repeatedly. Currently, most critical minerals are still processed in China. The U.S. is rushing to increase rare earth supplies outside China during a one-year easing of stricter restrictions that Trump said Xi Jinping agreed to in October. Several companies worldwide are already producing rare earths or magnets and can bring them to market faster than Greenland, which Trump has threatened to take militarily if Denmark refuses to sell it. “There are very few folks that can rely on a track record for delivering anything in each of these instances, and that obviously should be where we start, and especially in my view if you’re the U.S. government,” said Dunn, whose company is already producing more than 2,000 metric tons of magnets each year at a plant in Texas from elements it gets outside of China.