Biting cold paralyses life in Lalmonirhat
Poor people in dire need of warm clothes
Sitting around fire -- burning dried leaves and straw -- for warmth is a common sight in Lalmonirhat district that sees biting cold during the last ten days. The photo was taken from Uttor Saptan village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila. Photo: STAR
Life in the district is badly disturbed due to the biting cold accompanied by dense fog in the northern region for over a week. Under the blanket of dense fog, vehicles move slowly with headlights on while many people, especially children and aged ones, are getting different cold-related diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia. The low-income people, especially the farm labourers, are the worst sufferers as most of them cannot go out for work due to the adverse weather. Around two lakh people in Lalmonirhat district are passing days in extreme misery without warm clothes. The people living in the char (landmass emerged from riverbed) areas beside Teesta and Dharla rivers are more vulnerable. The sun was invisible for the last four days as the sky remained overcast with thick fog almost the whole day. "I have been facing biting cold during the last eight days as I don't have the ability to purchase warm cloth. As I can't go out for work due to the fog and cold, I have to pass days half-starved,†said Kulsum Bewa, 69, widow of late Johir Ali at Kalmati Char village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila. Lal Miah, 42, a rickshaw puller at Uttor Saptana village of Sadar upazila, said he and other rickshaw pullers in the village cannot go out for pulling rickshaw due to the severe cold as they do not have sufficient warm cloths. “Even if one goes out with rickshaw in the town, he can earn only a little as passengers are not available,†said rickshaw puller Majedul Islam, 45, of the same village. Azahar Ali Bokul, driver of a Dhaka-Lalmonirhat coach service, said, "Due to the heavy fog, we have to drive the vehicles slowly. Lalmonirhat-bound buses from Dhaka often make one to two hours' delay to reach the destination." People in the char areas are trying to keep themselves warm by burning straw and other stems of plants. Many people were found thronging the makeshift shops on the footpaths of the town to buy warm clothes. "We have no ability to purchase warm clothes, and so, we are waiting for help from government and non-governmental organisations,†said Taher Ali, 65, a marginal farmer at Char Dawabari village of Hatibandha upazila. Lalmonirhat District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Anwarul Islam said, "My office has got only 2300 pieces of warm cloths from the ministry concerned and those were sent to five upazilas in the district for distribution among the cold hit people on Sunday. I sent an emergency fax message to the ministry on Monday seeking more 30 thousand pieces of warm cloths especially blankets for the cold hit people in the district.â€
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