Bangladesh received inward remittances of $1.97 billion in July, the first month of Fiscal year 2023-24, which saw a decline on year-on-year basis by 5.86 percent. According to Bangladesh Bank (BB) data, the expatriates sent $2.19 billion remittance in June last month of FY23, saw a fall by 10.27 percent in July. Despite the fall in remittance inflow in July, the central bank officials described it as better than other months. $21.61 billion remittances in FY23, second highest ever Md Sarwar Hossain, a spokesman of the BB, told UNB that the expatriates sent a higher volume of remittances in June thanks to  Eid-ul-Azha. Bangladeshi expatriates sent $21.61 billion in remittance in the last fiscal year FY23 (June-July). In the previous FY it was $21.03 billion. Remittances pick up pace ahead of Eid-ul-Azha

July was the world's hottest month ever recorded, a US federal scientific and regulatory agency has reported. The data shows that the combined land and ocean-surface temperature was 0.93C (1.68F) above the 20th Century average of 15.8C (60.4F), reports BBC. It is the highest temperature since record-keeping began 142 years ago. The previous record, set in July 2016, was equalled in 2019 and 2020. READ: Climate-fueled wildfires take toll on tropical Pacific isles Experts believe this is due to the long-term impact of climate change. In a statement, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that July's "unenviable distinction" was a cause for concern. "In this case, first place is the worst place to be," NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad said in a statement. "This new record adds to the disturbing and disruptive path that climate change has set for the globe." The combined land and ocean-surface temperature was 0.01C higher than the 2016 record. In the Northern Hemisphere, land-surface temperature reached an "unprecedented" 1.54C higher than average, surpassing a previous record set in 2012. The data also showed that July was Asia's hottest month on record, as well as Europe's second hottest after July 2018. The NOAA statement also included a map of significant climate "anomalies" in July, which noted that global tropical cyclone activity this year has been unusually high for the number of named storms. Earlier this week, a report from the United Nations said that climate change is having an "unprecedented" impact on earth, with some changes likely to be "irreversible for centuries to millennia." UN Secretary General António Guterres said that the findings were "a code red for humanity." "If we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe. But as today's report makes clear, there is no time for delay and no room for excuses," he said. READ: Key takeaways from new UN report on climate change The authors of the report say that since 1970, global surface temperatures have risen faster than in any other 50-year period over the past 2,000 years.

The inflation rate slightly declined by 0.28 percent on a point-point basis as it came down at 5.36 percentage point in July 2021. “The general point-to-point inflation rate came down to 5.36 percentage points at the end of July from 5.64 percentage points in June,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan on Tuesday. The minister disclosed it while briefing reporters after the weekly Ecnec meeting. Also read: CPD finds 5.3 per cent inflation rate unrealistic as living cost goes up This time both the food and non-food inflation rates came down simultaneously. “The food inflation rate declined by 0.37 percent, while the non-food inflation rate decreased by 0.14 percent,” he said. The food inflation rate stood at 5.08 percent in July 2021, coming down from 5.45 percent in the previous month, while the non-food inflation rate was 5.80 percent last month, falling from 5.94 percent in June 2021, according to the BBS data provided to the journalists. Also read: Inflation declines to 5.26 in May In rural areas, the general inflation rate declined to 5.53 percent in July from 5.84 percent of the previous month. But the inflation rate was 5.06 percent in urban areas last month, coming down from 5.29 percent in June 2021.

This past July the Dhaka city dwellers got a special treat from the nature. The air they breathed in was much cleaner as the air quality significantly improved thanks largely to pollution-reducing rain, Eid exodus and Covid restrictions. Even Dhaka got a niche among the world’s top ten cities having clean air from July 22-31 last, a relief for an overcrowded city known for its severe air pollution. Read: Dhaka’s air quality improved in lockdown, a blessing in disguise! According to the data of the US-based IQAir Visual, Dhaka was also among the top five cities for particular times on July 24 and 30 for the good air quality, said Prof Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, the founder and director of Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) of Stamford University Bangladesh. The city’s air quality significantly improved in July as its Air Quality Index (AQI) score remained less than 100 in the most of days of the month. The AQI score 0-50 is considered as ‘good’ air quality, while 51-100 as moderate, 101-150 as unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151-200 as unhealthy, 201-300 as very unhealthy and 301 and above as hazardous.