For the first time in Bangladesh, two serotypes (8b and 11) of the fowl adenovirus responsible for causing Inclusion Body Hepatitis (IBH) in broiler chickens have been identified. The discovery was made by Professor Dr. Md. Alimul Islam and his research team from the Department of Microbiology and Hygiene at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU).
The interim government's initiative to hand over the management of one of Chattogram Port’s nine terminals to a foreign company is drawing heavy criticism. During a recent visit to Chattogram, Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus remarked that since Chattogram Port lags behind global standards, its management should be entrusted to one of the world’s top companies—and the public must be made to understand the necessity of this move. The government has already selected a foreign firm: DP World, a state-owned company from the UAE. Dr Yunus has met its CEO twice, both at home and abroad. The company’s proposed responsibilities include easing port congestion, reducing carbon emissions, and increasing efficiency at Bangladesh’s primary maritime gateway.
This year, the monsoon season began in full swing by mid-Joishtho (late May). Due to a deep depression, there is heavy rain with gusty winds across the country. As a result, anticipated with dread that flood conditions may arise within the next two days in at least six districts. In Dhaka and other major cities, knee-deep water has accumulated. Due to the impact of the depression, there was a tidal wave in several coastal areas yesterday.
At the University of Dhaka (DU), student records—both academic and personal—are being stored haphazardly across office verandas and corridors of the administrative building, raising serious concerns about data security and student privacy at the country’s premier higher education institution.
Heavy and continuous rainfall since early Thursday morning has plunged Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, into chaos, causing severe waterlogging and traffic congestion. The Meteorological Department has confirmed that the downpour resulted from a deep depression, which intensified in the afternoon. By evening, many parts of the city were submerged in knee- to waist-deep water, rendering vehicles inoperable and leaving commuters stranded on the roads for hours.
It was 9:00 pm., and a light drizzle had begun. At the sound of a knock on the door, Shapla Begum stepped out of her house, still shaken and gripped by fear. Her young son, Shakil, had been forcibly taken from her and subjected to brutal abuse. The horrifying cries and pleas of her seven-year-old still haunt her.
Given the dire condition of the country’s education and healthcare sectors, it was expected that the interim government would play a significant role in providing allocation to these sectors. But the draft budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year reveals that allocations for both sectors are being reduced. According to the Planning Ministry’s draft ADP (Annual Development Programme), the education sector will receive Tk 28,557 crore for 91 projects in the upcoming fiscal year, whereas the original ADP for the current fiscal year allocated Tk 31,528 crore to this sector. This marks a reduction of nearly Tk 3,000 crore. Similarly, the allocation for the health sector is decreasing by Tk 2,500 crore.
We were growing weary watching the political unrest. Anxiety, fear, and terror were becoming normal to us. We saw how brutally the ruling powers could carry out massacres just to hold onto control. We were shocked at the sight of corpse upon corpse. We saw how the reins of a nation could pass from one tyrant to another. We witnessed how people, under the guise of patriotism, turned into traitors. We saw how they placed their hands on holy scriptures and told despicable lies. We saw how the plundering class looted billions and billions without consequence.
In the Bengali calendar, the months of Asharh and Shraban mark the monsoon season. This season begins with the entry of the southwest monsoon winds into Bangladesh. However, due to the active presence of La Niña, the southwest monsoon is set to arrive earlier than usual this year. By the first week of June, the monsoon is expected to spread across the country—a phenomenon that hasn’t occurred in the past 25 years. The last instance of early monsoon in Bangladesh was in the year 2000.
Dhaka University (DU), the country’s leading educational institution, is facing a severe transport crisis as students and staff are forced to travel daily in buses over 35 years old, many of which are banned and unsafe. These outdated vehicles operate without valid fitness certificates and fail to meet emission standards, contributing to environmental pollution while putting commuters at serious risk of accidents and discomfort.
Online fraud operations are spreading across the country using the name of Benapole, a prominent border town. Organized gangs are exploiting Facebook pages and profiles to lure people with enticing advertisements for Indian products at discounted prices. Pages with names such as “Benapole Border Cross Bike,” “Online Shop,” and “Indian Product in Bangladesh” are being used to run these scams. These pages post attractive images of border-crossed Indian bikes, mobile phones, cameras, televisions, refrigerators, and other goods, offering them at unusually low prices to attract customers.
An illegal hill-cutting spree is underway on the eastern side of Thoaiynga Para Government Primary School in Bandarban, with so-called "hill grabbers" relentlessly using excavators day and night. Despite the environmental destruction taking place in plain sight, local authorities remain inactive. Locals allege that this environmentally destructive activity is being carried out with the backing of certain government officials and political patronage. As a result, the region's biodiversity and natural environment are being severely damaged, and the risk of fatal landslides during the monsoon season is increasing.