United News of Bangladesh

A prolonged spell of severe cold and dense fog is wreaking havoc on honey farming in Narail, leaving local beekeepers struggling with mounting losses and uncertainty over this season’s production. As winter tightens its grip on the region, honey cultivators are increasingly anxious, hoping for clearer skies and warmer days to safeguard their livelihoods. The district has endured several days of biting cold, coupled with thick fog that has disrupted not only daily life but also agricultural activity. Honey production has been particularly hard hit, with bees reluctant to leave their hives to collect nectar from mustard fields.  During visits to mustard fields and beekeeping sites in Narail Sadar upazila, hundreds of bee boxes were observed near blooming mustard crops. Yet there was little to no movement around them—a worrying sign for farmers who rely on this peak season for their honey harvest. Read more: Naogaon farmers make a fortune on mustard and honey Beekeeper Md Shompi Sardar explained that daytime fog is preventing bees from leaving their boxes. “For good honey collection, fog at night and sunshine during the day are necessary. Now the fog lingers throughout the day, so the bees stay inside and cannot collect nectar,” he said. Md Inamul Haque added, “Due to the fog, very few bees come out of the boxes. As a result, they consume the honey already stored inside. This year, many bees are also dying due to excessive cold and fog.” Meanwhile, Md Shahidul Islam expressed fears that honey production could decline sharply if the weather fails to improve.  “If favourable weather returns in the coming days, the situation may improve. Otherwise, honey production will drop sharply this season,” he warned. Highlighting the wider impact of the adverse weather, Md Arifur Rahman, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Narail, said that honey production has been disrupted by the unfavourable conditions. “Despite the challenges, we are hopeful that honey production may reach 10 metric tonnes or more this year,” he added, noting that the department continues to provide technical support to beekeepers to ensure the production of pure honey. Read more: Naogaon farmers make a fortune on mustard and honey With the region’s honey sector facing a delicate balance between weather and livelihood, farmers now await a change in the elements that could determine the season’s yield.

Ferry services on the Shariatpur-Chandpur Harinaghat river route have been suspended since 11:30pm on Saturday (January 03, 2026) due to dense fog, disrupting transport on both sides of the river. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Narsinghpur ferry terminal Assistant Manager Md Iqbal Hossain said ferry operations were suspended  at around 11:30pm on Saturday as thick fog engulfed the river basin, gradually reducing visibility. Read more: As haor waters recede, Sunnamganj farmers sow hope in every field At one stage, he said,  navigation marker lights along the waterway became unclear, prompting authorities to suspend all ferry and vessel movement to prevent accidents midstream. As a result, passenger buses, goods-laden trucks and other vehicles were stranded at ferry terminals in both Shariatpur and Chandpur. Hossain said no ferry had to anchor mid-river during the suspension. “Ferry services will resume once the fog density decreases and visibility improves,” he added. Read more: Dhaka’s air quality remains ‘unhealthy’ amid fog

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked eighth on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 163 at 9:15 am this morning (January 03, 2026). The capital's air was classified as ‘unhealthy’, according to the AQI index. Afghanistan’s Kabul and India’s Kolkata and Delhi and Egypt’s Cairo occupied the first, second, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 429, 244, 235 and 179 respectively. ‘Unhealthy’ air quality persists in Dhaka An AQI score between 50 and 100 is considered ‘moderate’, usually prompting sensitive individuals to limit prolonged outdoor exertion. A score between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 150 to 200 is ‘unhealthy’, 201 to 300 is ‘very unhealthy’, and a reading of 301 or more is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents. 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. Read more: Air pollution: 5 ways to protect yourself from poor air quality

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked third on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 216 at 09:40 am this morning (December 28, 2025).   Today Dhaka’s air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’ referring to an alarming healthy threat, according to the AQI index. 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. India’s Delhi, Afghanistan’s Kabul and again India’s Kolkata cities respectively occupied the first, second and and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 424, 243, and 214 respectively. Read more: Strong 6.6-magnitude quake hits off Taiwan’s northeast coast 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. Read more: Air pollution: 5 ways to protect yourself from poor air quality

Ferry services on the Aricha-Kazirhat route resumed at 9:30 am on Friday, following a six-hour suspension caused by dense fog that had severely impacted visibility.The fog, which started to intensify around midnight, reached its peak at 3:30 am, completely enveloping the ferry channel and obstructing navigation. This forced authorities to halt ferry movement to prevent any potential accidents. Fog disrupts ferry services on two key waterwaysAs the fog began to lift by late morning, ferry operations were restored, bringing relief to hundreds of stranded passengers and vehicles. During the suspension, two Ro-Ro ferries, Shah Ali and Dhanshiri, were stuck in the middle of the river with both passengers and vehicles on board.Nasir Chowdhury, deputy general manager (DGM) of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), said that the fog’s intensity disrupted not only the ferry services but also the visibility of the channel's beacon lights, making the route unsafe for travel. Ferry services on Chilmari-Roumari route suspended for 17 days In addition to the Aricha-Kazirhat route, ferry services on the Paturia-Daulatdia route were also halted earlier at 5:30 am due to similar fog conditions. Four ferries—Dhaka, Enayetpuri, Bonlata, and Keramat Ali—became stuck mid-river, and a total of eight ferries were delayed at the terminals.The suspension of ferry services left over 300 vehicles stranded at both ferry terminals, most of which were cargo trucks, private cars, and microbuses. As visibility improved, priority was given to passenger vehicles, with cargo trucks being gradually allowed to cross. Ferry services resume on Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes after fog disruptionBy 9:30 am, when the fog's intensity had decreased, both ferry routes resumed normal operations, easing the travel situation for commuters.

The ferry services on Daulatdia-Paturia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes resumed on Monday morning after a disruption caused by dense fog that lasted seven and six hours, respectively, said the authorities. Passengers on six ferries stranded mid-river suffered immensely during the suspension. Sources at Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) office in Aricha said the ferry operations were halted on both routes late Sunday night as thick fog blanketed the Padma and Jamuna river basins. The fog intensified, making navigation risky, prompting authorities to suspend operations at Daulatdia from midnight and at Paturia from 12:20am. Four ferries namely Bir Shrestha Ruhul Amin, Shah Paran, Bir Shrestha Matiur Rahman and the utility ferry Kapoti had to anchor mid-river to avoid accidents. Meanwhile, more ferries at both terminals Daulatdia and Paturia, also remained stranded. The ferry services resumed on the Daulatdia-Paturia route around 7am on Monday bringing relief to over 200 passengers and vehicle drivers who had been stuck in freezing conditions for hours. Separately, the operations on the Aricha-Kazirhat route were suspended from 1am to 7am. Read: Ferry services resume on Aricha, Paturia routes after 3 hours Two ferries Bir Shrestha Hamidur Rahman and Dhansiri were stranded mid-river. Other ferries, including Chitra, Kishani, and Shah Ali were anchored at the Aricha terminal. No ferries were stationed at the Kazirhat terminal during the disruption. Earlier on Sunday morning, both routes experienced a two-and-a-half-hour suspension due to fog. The disruption caused long queues of vehicles at the Daulatdia terminal, with over 100 vehicles stranded on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway. Local resident Shakil Molla narrated how dense fog brought vehicular movement to a standstill and led to traffic congestion stretching two kilometers. Read more: Dense fog: Ferry services resume on two river routes in Manikganj BIWTC’s Deputy General Manager Nasir Mohammad Chowdhury informed that six ferries were stranded mid-river during the suspension, causing inconvenience for passengers and transport operators.

The weather across Bangladesh is expected to remain mostly dry with a temporary partly cloudy sky over the next few days, according to BMD’s latest weather bulletin on Friday. A mild cold wave is sweeping through the northern and western regions, with districts such as Panchagarh, Rajshahi, and Chuadanga experiencing the chill. This cold wave is expected to persist for the time being, it said. Dense fog halts Paturia-Daulatdia ferry route for 6 hours Moderate to thick fog is likely to develop at various locations, especially during the midnight until noon, causing reduced visibility and potentially disrupting travel in the affected areas, the bulletin added. Both night and day temperatures are expected to fall slightly across the country.  

Dhaka was covered in a thick blanket of fog on Thursday morning as a sign of the arrival of winter with reduced visibility and a dip in the temperature. Dhaka’s lowest temperature was recorded at 14.8 degree Celsius at 6am on Thursday. The fog, which began to settle in the early hours, reduced visibility in some areas. Street vendors, rickshaw pullers, and early-morning workers were seen wrapped in warm clothing, braving the chilly weather to continue their work. Read: Severe cold grips Kurigram, low-income residents hit hard For many people the fog added a touch of seasonal charm to the city’s otherwise bustling streets. As Dhaka continues to experience winter’s grip the foggy mornings are likely to persist, affecting normal life but also signaling the arrival of the much-anticipated winter season in the city.

Two flights carrying passengers from two Middle-Eastern countries landed at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport of Kolkata in India instead of Dhaka due to dense fog last night. The flights started landing in Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka after 9:30 am this morning (January 14, 2024) when invisibility improved, said Group Captain Mohammad Kamrul Islam, executive director of the HSIA. Read more: Flyers on Indian flight stuck in Dhaka Airport for over 12 hours. Here’s why On January 4, thirteen flights that failed to land at Dhaka airport were diverted to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Sylhet, and Chattogram international airports.

A mild cold wave is sweeping over parts of Bangladesh and has been impacting daily life, particularly affecting day laborers, children, and the elderly. According to the regular weather bulletin from Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), a mild cold wave is sweeping over parts of the country, and it may continue for two to three more days.   “Mild cold wave is sweeping over the districts of Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Panchagarh and Chuadanga, and it may abate from some places," the BMD forecast says. Read: Mild cold wave sweeping over parts of Bangladesh The lowest temperature in the country today was recorded at 8.5 degrees Celsius in Dinajpur while the highest temperature was recorded at 26.8 degrees Celsius in Teknaf, reads the bulletin. Temperatures between 8 to 10 degrees Celsius is considered a mild cold wave, 6 to 8 degrees Celsius a moderate cold wave, and less than 6 degrees Celsius a severe cold wave. Moderate to thick fog may occur over the country during midnight to morning and it may continue till noon at places. Air navigation, inland river transport, and road communication may be disrupted temporarily due to fog, according to the bulletin. Weather may remain dry, with temporary partly cloudy skies over the country. Read: Karwan Bazar Slum Fire: DNCC Mayor announces Tk 5000 for each affected family  Night temperature may rise slightly and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country. Cold day condition is likely to prevail at many places over the country, reads the bulletin. People of the country, especially in the northern part, have been experiencing bone-shivering cold for the last couple of days, that has thrown normal life out of gear.