Cold grips country, disrupts life in north

The ongoing cold spell continues to sweep across the country, disrupting normal life, particularly in the northern region.

The lowest temperature was recorded at 6.8 degrees Celsius in the northernmost district of Panchagarh yesterday morning, according to the Tetulia Weather Observatory Centre.

The inactivity of monsoon winds is mainly responsible for the narrow gap between daytime and night-time temperatures, said Jitendranath Ray, assistant officer of the centre. 

He added that the colder conditions are likely to persist throughout the month.

“Mild to moderate cold wave is sweeping over Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions and the districts of Narsingdi, Jashore, Chuadanga and Kushtia and it may continue,” said a weather bulletin issued by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

“Moderate to thick fog may occur over the river basins of the country and light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere during mid-night to morning,” the bulletin released last evening for the next 24 hours said.

People are struggling to cope with the bone-chilling cold.

Rafiqul Islam, 60, of the Dokropara area in Panchagarh town, said daily activities have become increasingly difficult as the cold intensifies.

Shariful Islam, 46, a rickshaw-van puller from the Sahapara area under Panchagarh’s Boda upazila, said pulling his rickshaw was harder than the previous day due to unusually cold winds.

Habibur Rahman, 60, a rickshaw puller from Mandolpara of Thakurgaon Sadar, said his income drops during cold spells as people venture out only for essential activities.

Jomir Uddin, 55, of Yakubpur village in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, who works in a potato field, said bone-chilling winds have made it difficult to continue farming.

Meanwhile, people in char areas are facing severe hardship during the freezing cold.

Nazrul Islam, 65, a farmer from the Char Korai Barishal area of Kurigram’s Chilmari upazila, said, “Our house is on a river bank. Cold wind rushes inside with a whistling sound. It is almost impossible to go outside. We cannot sleep at night.”

Shafiar Rahman, 60, a day labourer from Char Gobordhan in Lalmonirhat’s Aditmari upazila, said, “We are suffering from different cold-related diseases. Children are more vulnerable.”

Sirajul Islam, additional director of the Rangpur Regional Agricultural Extension Department, said intermittent sunshine has allowed farmers and agricultural labourers to resume work in the fields.

Currently, maize, potatoes, Boro seedbeds, mustard and various winter vegetables are growing in the fields, and regular care and close monitoring of these crops are extremely important during this period, he said.

[Our correspondents from Thakurgaon and Lalmonirhat contributed to this report]