North, southwest bearing brunt of cold wave

The country's people especially from northern and southwestern regions are suffering the most due to bone-chilling cold coupled with dense fog.

Public life and road communications have become disrupted due to the ongoing cold wave with yesterday's lowest temperature 7.8 degree Celsius recorded in Rajshahi.

"Temperature may come down to 6°C at some places amid the ongoing mild to moderate cold wave," said Omar Faruk, a meteorologist.

"It may continue for the next two to three days. Then temperature may rise for one or two days. Later, it may fall," he told The Daily Star yesterday.

Meanwhile, a weather bulletin yesterday said, "Mild to moderate cold wave is sweeping over Rangpur division and the regions of Gopalganj, Sreemangal, Rajshahi, Ishwardi, Badalgachhi, Jashore, Chuadanga and Kumarkhali."

"Night and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country," said the bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD)

The 24-hour bulletin was released at 9am yesterday.

Weather may remain dry over the country. Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the river basins and light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere during midnight to morning, the bulletin added.

The weather may see little changes in the next 72 hours, said the bulletin.

Our correspondents from different districts reported on cold wave.

In Thakurgaon and Panchagarh, poor people are suffering the most as they cannot go out for work. Farmers are in fear of incurring losses as their crops are being affected.

"I am fearing that the potato cultivated on my land may be attacked by late blight due to fluctuation of temperature," said Ahsanur Rahman, a farmer from Choto Balia village in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila.

Another farmer Shahidul Islam of Chut Bathina village said a portion of his Boro seedlings has already been damaged amid severe cold.

In Kurigram and Lalmonirhat, people who are living in the Brahmaputra, Dudhkumar, Teesta and Dharla river basins are the worst sufferers.

Many are seen fighting cold by burning heaps of straw and old tyres. The cattle are covered with jute sacks in sheds.

"We don't have sufficient warm clothes," said Tahera Bewa (58), a widow at Char Gobordhan of Teesta River bed in Aditmari, Lalmonirhat.

A rickshaw-puller Shafiqul Islam (50) from Jatrapur village in Kurigram Sadar upazila, said, "I can't go out of home to pull rickshaw amid severe cold. If I do so, I would not get passengers."

Contacted, Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner Md Abu Jafor said they were distributing warm clothes among the cold-hit people in remote and char areas.

In Nilphamari, the poor are seen trying to save themselves from cold by setting fire to waste polythene, tyre and dry leaves.

Due to severe cold, late blight fungus attacks potato fields compelling many farmers to harvest immature vegetables to minimise further loss. "I have harvested immature potato of one bigha of land this year," said Shakir Hossen, a farmer from Ranachandi village.