North shivers in cold

Residents of several districts in Rangpur division are suffering due to the ongoing cold wave.

However, the temperature may start improving tomorrow, said Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

People from low-income groups are the worst sufferers due to the cold wave that has been sweeping over the northern region for the last few days.

The number of patients, especially the elderly and children, affected by different cold-related diseases is rising at different hospitals and private clinics in different areas in the division.

Meanwhile, 13 international flights bound for Dhaka were diverted to different airports, including Kolkata and Hyderabad, between 2:00am and 9:00am today due to dense fog.

Group Captain Kamrul Islam, executive director at Dhaka airport, told The Daily Star that several flights were also diverted to Chattogram and Sylhet.

Flight operations were suspended at the Dhaka airport for seven hours due to dense fog. The diverted flights finally started landing at 9:40am, he added.

Bazlur Rashid, meteorologist at BMD, said the temperature may fall further after January 8.

The lowest 8.4°C temperature was recorded in Tentulia today. Among others in the Rangpur division, 9.5°C temperature was recorded in Dinajpur, 10.1°C in Rajarhat and 10.5°C in both Dimla and Syedpur.

In Dhaka, the temperature was recorded at 14.2°C today.

City dwellers, especially homeless people, had to bear the brunt of the situation.