United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast rain across all eight divisions in 24 hours commencing 9 am on Tuesday.   According to the BMD forecast light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram & Sylhet divisions and at many places over Rangpur, Mymensingh and  Dhaka divisions. The Met Office also predicted moderately heavy to heavy falls at places across the country. Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged across the country, the forecast said.

A low-pressure area has formed over the North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of West Bengal and Bangladesh and it is likely to intensify, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department . It forecast rains across all eight divisions in 24 hours commencing 9 am on Wednesday. Light to moderate rain and thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, are likely to occur at many places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions and at a few places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions. Moderately heavy to heavy rainfall is also likely at places across the country, said a BMD bulletin. Daytime temperatures may remain nearly unchanged, while nighttime temperatures could fall slightly across the country. The axis of the monsoon trough extends through Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal and the centre of the low-pressure area to Assam, crossing the southern parts of Bangladesh. The monsoon is currently fairly active over Bangladesh and strong over the North Bay, the bulletin said.

The search for survivors trapped under the rubble of Colombia’s powerful earthquake became increasingly urgent Wednesday as rescue teams raced against time to find signs of life. The disaster has put new President Abelardo de la Espriella and his government under pressure as they work to respond to the emergency, while civil society groups are trying to deliver assistance to vulnerable communities hardest hit by the quake. By Tuesday, de la Espriella said the magnitude 7.4 earthquake had killed at least 181 people and injured 2,595 others in western Colombia. He said at least 195 people remained missing, although databases maintained by civilian groups put the number closer to 4,000. Search teams worked through the night in the worst-affected cities of Cali, Pereira, Manizales and Quibdo, as the chances of finding victims alive diminished with each passing hour. Aid organizations consider the first 48 to 72 hours after a disaster critical for rescuing survivors, although the period can be extended when victims have access to food and water. There have been moments of hope amid the destruction, including rescuers pulling a dust-covered baby through a gap in a concrete wall and crowds cheering as a woman was carried from the rubble on a stretcher. In many areas, the government’s disaster response has been complicated by long-standing poverty and decades of armed conflict that have displaced large numbers of people. “This earthquake compounds an already severe humanitarian situation, and there is a need for increased support for the humanitarian response,” said Giovanni Rizzo, Colombia director for the Norwegian Refugee Council. The 2016 peace agreement between the government and rebels, along with the country’s continuing armed conflict, could help humanitarian organizations distribute food and other emergency supplies more quickly, said María José Torres, the U.N. resident coordinator in Colombia. Humanitarian organizations already have a presence in several conflict-affected areas as a result of the peace process, including Choco, which was at the epicenter of the earthquake. “We have a presence on the ground. Therefore, our ability to be there, present with the people, I think, has increased exponentially,” Torres said in a statement Tuesday. Meanwhile, international governments and nonprofit organizations continued sending assistance to Colombia. The United States has pledged more than $15 million in aid, while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country was ready to deploy hundreds of search-and-rescue and health workers, along with tons of medical supplies and other equipment. On Tuesday afternoon, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said El Salvador would send two planes carrying 100 tons of humanitarian aid in the coming days. “Our prayers are with the families of the victims, the wounded and all the Colombian people,” Bukele wrote on X.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted rains at several places in seven divisions of the country including Dhaka in 24 hours commencing 9:00am on Saturday. “Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at a few places over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna and Barishal divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country,” said a Met office bulletin. Day and night temperatures may rise slightly over the country. The axis of monsoon troughs runs through Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across central part of Bangladesh. One of it's associated troughs extends up to north Bay. Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate over the north Bay.

Green chili prices have jumped sharply across Dhaka’s kitchen markets over the past few days, with retailers raising prices by Tk 40 to Tk 60 per kilogram. The kitchen spice was selling for Tk 260 to Tk 300 per kg in major retail markets on Monday, compared with Tk 200 to Tk 240 just five days ago. A visit to Karwan Bazar, Tejgaon Colony Market and Moghbazar found significant price variations. Retailers at Moghbazar and Tejgaon were selling green chilies at around Tk 300 per kg, while prices at Karwan Bazar where wholesale and retail trading take place side by side ranged between Tk 250 and Tk 280 per kg depending on quality. The latest surge marks a dramatic increase from just a month ago, when green chilies were available at Tk 50 to Tk 70 per kg. Traders attributed the steep increase to heavy rainfall and waterlogging in major producing areas, which they said has damaged crops and disrupted supplies to wholesale markets. Kawser Uddin, a trader at Karwan Bazar, said supplies from key production areas including Manikganj has virtually stopped. “We are now depending on shipments from Kushtia, Khulna, Jhenaidah and Rajshahi. Excessive rainfall in those regions has caused root rot and destroyed chili flowers, resulting in a severe shortage at production hubs,” he said. He added that daily arrivals have fallen from around 10 truckloads to eight, creating a supply gap. “Imports from India which usually help stabilise the market during shortages have not started yet,” Kawser said. Traders believe prices may remain high until weather condition improves or imports resume. Consumers, however, questioned the justification for the price hike alleging that some traders are using the rainy season as an excuse to create an artificial shortage and inflate prices. Many shoppers urged the government to intensify market monitoring and take action against price manipulation to protect consumers from unjustified increases. The latest spike in green chili prices has added to household expenses already strained by higher costs of other daily essentials, putting additional pressure on consumers.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast rains in all the divisions in 24 hours commencing 9 am on Tuesday. “Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Barishal and Chattogram divisions and at many places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to very heavy falls at places over the country,” it said. Day temperature may rise slightly and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country The axis of monsoon troughs runs through Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across southern part of Bangladesh. One of its associated troughs extends up to the Northwest Bay. Monsoon is active over Bangladesh and moderate over the North Bay.    

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) trained a total of 21,732 people in the fiscal year 2025-26 as part of its nationwide investment education programme, aimed at helping investors make informed decisions and building a healthy, risk-aware capital market. In a press release, the BSEC on Monday said it regularly organises training sessions, seminars, workshops and conferences under its investment education initiative, in addition to conducting training for employees of market intermediary institutions and observing World Investor Week. BSEC seeks public opinion on draft amendments to Margin Rules 2025 Between July 2025 and June 2026, the commission's Financial Literacy Division alone trained 4,660 people through eight separate programmes. Of them, 1,896 received training as individual investors, while 1,194 employees of capital market intermediary institutions were trained. A workshop titled "Capital Market Workshop" was held for 52 journalists covering the capital market, and a seminar on Surveillance and Capital Issue & Financial Literacy, organised with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (US SEC), drew 61 participants. Separately, 106 approved representatives of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) TREC holders received training, and 1,290 people took part in activities marking World Investor Week 2025. The commission also trained 35 SME entrepreneurs on raising capital through public offerings and held a financial investment education workshop for 26 women investors. Beyond the commission's own programmes, the BSEC said it works jointly with the Dhaka Stock Exchange, Chittagong Stock Exchange, Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL), Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB), Bangladesh Institute of Capital Markets (BICM), Bangladesh Academy for Securities Markets (BASM), brokers, merchant bankers and listed companies to build a sound and inclusive capital market and raise awareness about investment risks among the general public. According to the combined figures for 2025-26, the commission's Administration and Finance Division trained 1,442 people, while its Market and Intermediaries Affairs Division trained 308. The Dhaka Stock Exchange trained 1,339 people and the Chittagong Stock Exchange 3,350, while CDBL trained 111 and ICB 181. BICM and BASM trained 2,589 and 1,339 people respectively, brokers trained 3,876 people, publicly listed companies trained 385, and market bankers trained 2,352 people, taking the combined total to 21,732.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) on Wednesday said a low-pressure area has formed over the Northwest Bay and adjoining North Odisha-West Bengal coast, raising the likelihood of rains again across the country. According to the Met Office, the axis of the monsoon trough extends through Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, the centre of the low-pressure area and Assam, passing across the southern part of Bangladesh. The monsoon is currently fairly active over Bangladesh and strong over the North Bay, the BMD said. In its forecast commencing from 9:00am Wednesday, the Met Office said light to moderate rain likely to occur at many places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh & Sylhet divisions and few places over Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal & Chattogram divisions. Moderately heavy to heavy rainfall is expected at places across the country, according to the forecast. The BMD also said both day and night temperatures may rise slightly across the country over the next 24 hours.

President Donald Trump is set to speak at a defense technology summit at the U.S. Army War College on Wednesday, where he is expected to highlight major investments in military technology as the recent conflict with Iran has significantly reduced U.S. stockpiles of key missiles. The summit, held in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, is being organized by Republican Senator David McCormick. It has brought together top military, intelligence and business leaders, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz. The White House said the event aims to bring together senior defense officials and leading global investors to discuss national security priorities and explore investment opportunities in the defense sector. Among those attending are JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Blackstone President Jon Gray, Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet, General Dynamics CEO Phebe Novakovic, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, SpaceX director Antonio Gracias and Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar. Trump has made frequent visits to Pennsylvania, a key political battleground, including a trip last month to a Mack Trucks factory near Allentown to support Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie's reelection campaign. Although McCormick is not facing reelection this year, Republicans are increasingly concerned about the political impact of the Iran conflict, the continuing high cost of living and Trump's low approval ratings as they seek to retain control of Congress in November's midterm elections. Trump spoke at a similar summit hosted by McCormick in Pittsburgh last year, where the senator announced $90 billion in pledged investments for energy technology and robotics projects across Pennsylvania. This year's summit began on Tuesday. Ahead of Trump's address, Pennsylvania-based artificial intelligence company ZeroEyes announced plans to invest $10 million in AI and machine learning research and development. Pittsburgh-based Gecko Robotics also announced plans to open a new 10,000-square-foot manufacturing facility to expand the use of robotics in defense production and strengthen the country's defense industrial base. The summit comes as concerns grow over U.S. weapons supplies. A report released in May found that defense contractors may need at least three years to rebuild stockpiles of Tomahawk cruise missiles, Patriot air defense missiles and THAAD interceptors, which have been heavily used in military operations, including recent strikes on Iran. The shrinking inventory has raised concerns that the U.S. could face shortages if a future conflict breaks out with China. China has said it wants its military to be capable of taking Taiwan by force, if necessary, by 2027, although experts view that timeline as an ambition rather than a fixed deadline. During Trump's recent visit to Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that poor handling of U.S.-Taiwan relations could increase tensions and potentially lead to direct conflict between the two countries. Trump has also pledged to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot air defense systems under license, although experts say it could take years before such production becomes operational. To strengthen U.S. military capabilities, Trump has proposed a record $1.5 trillion defense budget for 2027. However, the spending package remains stalled in Congress, and even if approved, expanding production capacity for advanced weapons would take considerable time. Jake Loosararian, co-founder and CEO of Gecko Robotics, said U.S. defense manufacturers need to significantly strengthen supply chains to speed up production of advanced military technologies. "President Trump uniquely understands the importance of pragmatic impact today," Loosararian said. "He also understands big, beautiful things for tomorrow."

Days of heavy rainfall and widespread waterlogging in the capital have heightened the risk of dengue, with stagnant water accumulating on roads, at construction sites and in residential areas, creating ideal breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes.