`diseases spread, especially among the children.

In Lalmonirhat, poor people living in Teesta and Dharla river basin areas and those in urban slums are bearing the brunt of the ongoing cold wave accompanied by thick fog, reports our correspondent.

Low income people, mainly farm workers, day labourers and rickshaw-pullers cannot go out for work due to the adverse weather.

Many people, mostly children and elderly people, have fallen victim to cold related diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia.

Many children affected with cold-related diseases like diarrhoea, pneumonia, cough, fever, stomach pain, dysentery and vomiting are being admitted to Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital and four upazila health complexes in the district.

“I treated 241 outdoor child patients while 52 other children were admitted here in the last three days,” said Dr Hafizur Rahman, the lone child specialist in Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital.

“We burn straws to get warm as we cannot afford warm clothes,” said Sahera Bewa, 62, a widow at Mahendranagar village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

Our Kurigram correspondent reports: The cold wave has added to the woes of common people in the district.

“I am waiting for passengers at C and B More of Kurigram town for over three hours from 6:30am but there is no passenger as people stay inside home due to dense fog and cold wave,” said Babor Ali, 65, a rickshaw puller of Krishnapur village under Kurigram municipality.

Panchgachhi Union Parishad Chairman Delwar Hossain said, “I have received over 500 blankets recently while over 10 thousand blankets are needed for the poor people affected by river-erosion and floods.”

Our staff correspondent reports from Rajshahi: Sufferings of people, especially children and elderly people belonging to the low-income group, mounted with the lowering of temperature in the district yesterday.

The lowest temperature was recorded 5.8 degrees Celsius at 6:00am yesterday while it was 8.6 degrees the day before.

Plants of masur dal (a kind of pulse) are being affected with diseases due to the severe cold, farmers said.

Our Dinajpur correspondent reports: Intense cold continuing for the third consecutive days disrupted life in Dinajpur, Rangpur, Joypurhat and Naogaon districts.

Met office in Dinajpur yesterday recorded lowest 6.8 degrees Celsius temperature in the district. 

Our Thakurgaon correspondent adds: Like the previous couple of days, most of the people in Thakurgaon and Panchagarh had to stay indoors yesterday due to biting cold.

Those who earn their living by daily basis work outside are the worst sufferers.

Agriculture and business activities are badly hampered while attendance of students in schools and colleges decreased.

Many people, especially children and elderly people, are affected with cold-related diseases like pneumonia and diarrhoea and 105 child patients were admitted to Thakurgaon Sadar Hospital during the last couple of days, hospital sources said.