People shiver in cold

Dense fog accompanied by cold wave has disrupted normal life in all the upazilas of Lalmonirhat in the last couple of days. 

Residents of Teesta and Dharla river basins areas, particularly farmers and day labourers, are the worst affected as they cannot work in the fields due to the cold wind. People living in the areas are trying to keep themselves warm by burning straws.

According to Rangpur Met Office, day temperature was recorded at 9.7 degrees Celsius yesterday, lowest in Lalmonirhat and its adjacent areas.

“My two sons are not able to purchase warm clothes from the market as both of them are day labourers and cannot go out of their house in search of work due to the severe cold,” said Bilkis Bewa, 58, of Khatamari village in Sadar upazila.

Nabiar Rahman, 50, of Bangram village in the upazila, said labourers are not available to work in the field due to cold wave in the last couple of days.

Farm labourer Nabir Hossain of Kutirpar village in Aditmari upazila said he has not been able to go out and find any work due to the cold wave and thick fog.

Many ultra poor and destitute people from the Teesta and Dharla river basin areas said they are waiting for help as they have no ability to purchase warm clothes.

Besides, domestic animals, especially cows and goats are not taking fodder due to the biting cold, said Dilbar Hossain, 55, of Shiberkuti village in Sadar upazila.

District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Mohammad Idris Ali said he got 25,701 pieces of blankets and of those 25,196 have already been distributed among the cold-hit people.