The north shivers in cold

A mild cold wave is sweeping over the country and it may continue for the next three days, according to Bangladesh Meteorological department.

Yesterday, the country's lowest temperature, 7.9 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Sreemangal of Moulvibazar at 9:00am.

The cold wave is disrupting normal life across the country, particularly in the northern districts. People from low-income families are suffering the most from the cold weather.

The chilly wind coupled with moderate and dense fog aggravated the sufferings of the people and hampered their movement.

Cold-related diseases have broken out among children and the elderly people in many districts, report our district correspondents.

In Nilphamari, vehicles were running on roads with their headlights even in the afternoon. People were seen trying to stay warm by burning straw and dry leaves.

Supply of vegetables was running low in local kitchen markets as farmers couldn't harvest their crops in the last few days.

Shilu Mia, 50, a resident of Sabuj Para in Nilphamari municipality, collects and sells dumped plastic bags to make a living. Talking to The Daily Star, he said, "These are our days of misery. I can't go out of home to collect bags due to the cold."

Nilphamari Civil Surgeon Jajangir Kabir said patients, especially children and elderly people, were crowding local hospitals with cold-related diseases.

Life in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram has almost come to a standstill due to the mild cold wave and dense fog.

The sun is not seen throughout the day. Many farmers cannot go to work in the fields.

People living in char areas along the Brahmaputra, Dudhkumar, Teesta and Dharla rivers were suffering due to a lack of warm clothes.

Mazidul Islam, a rickshaw puller from Refugee Colony area in Lalmonirhat town, said traders were charging higher prices for used warm clothes as underprivileged people were thronging their shops.