Photo: Mehedi Hasan/Star

Heavy excavators mounted on barges are lifting soil and sand from the Turag river in the Ramchandrapur area of Dhaka. Local influentials are reportedly extracting sand illegally from the riverbed to sell to brick kilns, contributing to significant environmental degradation and riverbank erosion. The photo was taken yesterday morning. Photo: Rashed Shumon

Guests attend the opening of “The Long Present”, an exhibition featuring works by 15 distinguished artists, at Bengal Shilpalay yesterday. Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury formally inaugurated the exhibition and attended the programme as the chief guest. Artists, cultural personalities, and guests were also present at the opening ceremony. The exhibition will remain open to visitors every day from 4:00pm to 8:00pm until Saturday, July 4. Photo: Sheikh Mehedi Morshed

Street vendors indiscriminately occupy space in front of Bangladesh Medical University, designated for pedestrian movement, including patients needing urgent medical attention. Despite repeated eviction drives by authorities, the encroachment continues, as shoppers often stop to buy from vendors, exacerbating inconvenience and hindering smooth movement. The photos were taken in the capital’s Shahbagh area yesterday. Photo: Mehedi Hasan

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman plants a sapling along the bank of the Patali canal in PM-khali union of Cox’s Bazar Sadar upazila yesterday after inaugurating its re‑excavation project. The initiative is part of the government’s key electoral pledge to protect the environment and strengthen climate resilience through nationwide excavation and re‑excavation of rivers, canals, and water bodies. Photo: PMO