Cold claims 10 more lives

A homeless boy shivers in the bone-chilling cold Monday night at the capital's Kamalapur Rail Station as the cold spell continues in the country. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq

Siddiqul Islam, who had come to the port city from Kushtia, used to sell peanuts. But what he earned was not enough to manage accommodation even in the slums.
He lived under a shed at Chittagong Parade Ground.
With his shabby clothes, a dilapidated blanket and makeshift bed, he has drawn attention of local youths.
“He told me that he couldn't sleep for a moment as the night [Monday] was bitterly cold,” said one of the youngsters who went to play football in the field yesterday morning. “He was shivering violently.”
The 58-year-old was found dead in the afternoon.
From Monday night to yesterday, extreme cold weather claimed nine other lives -- four at Jibannagar upazila in Chuadanga, two at Pirgachha in Rangpur, one in Bagerhat. Two workers passed away while sleeping on a launch at Mawa river port.
The Jibannagar victims are Tahrun Nesa, 70, Sabbir Ahmad, 12, of Goyeshwarpur village, Arji Banu, 90, of Koya village and Sharifan Nesa, 105, of Medinipur village, reports UNB.
The Met office sources said cold spell had been lashing the district for the last several days till 6:00am yesterday.
Fahimul Islam Mondol, a doctor of Pirgachha Upazila Health Complex in Rangpur, said about 24 people, including four kids, suffering from pneumonia, cold diarrhoea, asthma and other cold related diseases were admitted to the hospital yesterday, our district correspondent reports.
In Khulna, as many as 1,783 people, mostly from areas hit by cyclone Aila, were hospitalised in the past five days, reports our correspondent from the district.
BSS adds an extreme weather was disrupting normal life in Bandarban. Freezing cold accompanied by dense fog hampered traffic on the bumpy hilly roads and also ferry services.
However, weather is likely to remain dry with a partly cloudy sky over the country in 24 hours till 6:00pm tomorrow, reports UNB.
The lowest temperature in the country was recorded yesterday in Jessore where mercury went down to 10.3 degrees Celsius. In the capital, it was 12.5 degrees C.
Moderate to thick fog might cover the country from mid night till noon today, the Met office said.