Cold wave continues sweeping northern districts

Normal life remained partially affected on Sunday as the mild to moderate cold wave continues sweeping over the sub-Himalayan northern districts in recent days causing sufferings to common people.

Despite the appearance of the sun for a few hours from noon, the intensity of the cold wave remained almost unchanged with little ups and downs in the minimum temperatures during the past 24 hours ending at 6pm on Sunday, reports Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.

Local residents said clouds, mists and thick layers of fog covered the air reducing the visibility range and forcing drivers to drive their vehicles on the roads and highways keeping head-lights on till 10 am today.

Though the sun appeared for sometime in the afternoon, thick layers of fog soon covered the sun as the intensity of cold started rising in the evening amid foggy air.

According to officials at the Meteorological Office, the country’s lowest temperature of 9.8 degrees Celsius was recorded on Sunday at Dinajpur monitoring point in the northern region.

The Met Office on Sunday recorded the minimum temperature of 14.1 degrees Celsius at Rangpur, 13.2 degrees Celsius at Syedpur, 10.4 degrees Celsius at Tentulia, 12.6 degrees Celsius at Dimla and 13.2 degrees Celsius at Rajarhat points in the region.

The maximum temperatures are mostly remaining between 24 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius in the region during the past few days.

Due to the lower gap between the maximum and minimum temperatures in recent days, intensity of cold continues to cause misery to common people almost everywhere, including riverine sandy char areas.

Talking to BSS, District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of Rangpur Md Motahar Hossain said distribution of 55,000 pieces of blankets allocated by the government so far among cold-hit people of the district is nearing completion.

“We have sent a letter to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief seeking more 60,000 pieces of blankets to further intensify distribution among cold-hit people of the district for mitigating their sufferings,” Hossain added.

DRRO of Kurigram Abdul Hye Sarker said the district administration has already distributed 38,000 pieces of blankets among cold-affected people of the district and is preparing to send a letter to the ministry seeking more 1.14-lakh pieces of blankets.

Alongside the district and upazila administrations, NGOs, business bodies, banks and financial institutions, voluntary, socio- cultural, charitable and professional organisations are distributing warm clothes among cold-stricken people.

Reports reaching from remote and sandy char areas of Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts said sufferings of people living there remained mostly unchanged on Sunday.

The number of cold- related patients continues to increase in the northern districts making the elderly people, children and babies as the worst sufferers, doctors in the hospitals and health complexes said.

Rangpur Divisional Acting Director (Health) Dr Md Habibur Rahman said adequate steps have been taken in the hospitals and health complexes to provide proper treatment to cold- related patients of all eight districts in Rangpur division.