Winter woes likely to continue

Bangladesh’s winter woes are likely to continue as a cold snap, accompanied by rain, might hit the country later this month, UNB quoted the met office as saying on Sunday.

The already rising number of patients suffering from cold-related diseases is likely to go up. Excessive cold in many districts was also affecting crop production, farmers told the news agency.

“Although the mercury might rise on Monday and Tuesday, the relief won’t last long,” meteorologist Monowar Hossain told UNB.

“It feels chillier as the temperature has dropped by 6-7 degrees Celsius all over the country. The difference between day and night temperatures is too little,” he said.

Jashore shivered at 9C on Sunday, the coldest temperature recorded on the day.

“A mild cold wave has been sweeping over Rajshahi, Pabna, Jashore, Panchagarh and Chuadanga,” the official said.

UNB reporters from across the country reported dozens of people being hospitalised with cold-initiated diseases.

In Kurigram, over 50 patients, mostly children, were admitted to the general hospital in the last three days with cold-related diseases, said resident medical officer Shahinur Rahman Sardar.

The district’s lowest temperature was recorded at 12.5C with little sunshine for the last five days. Residents of over 405 chars along 16 rivers, including Brahmaputra, Dharla, Teesta, Dudhkumar and Fulkumar, are reportedly suffering the most.

The district administration has distributed 51,514 blankets among the people in all nine upazilas.

In Nilphamari, UNB reports the day labourers and the destitute as the worst sufferers while most of the people avoided outdoor activities. More than a hundred patients with cold-related diseases were hospitalised, doctors said.

Mercury dropped to 12.2C in the district on Sunday, met office said.

In Sirajganj, in the last 48 hours, more than 50 people, mostly women and children, were admitted to government and private hospitals, civil surgeon Zahidul Islam was quoted as saying.

In Khagrachhari, the number of people suffering from cold-related diseases in remote hilly villages was rising. Doctors said they are struggling to treat the excessive number of patients.

In Chattogram, Boalkhali upazila nirbahi officer Asia Khatun distributed blankets among under-privileged people of Amuchia, Shrepur, Kharandip unions on Saturday night.

In a statement, disaster management and relief ministry said the government has allocated 12,300 pieces of blankets and two million taka to buy warm clothes for the destitute.

Eight thousand packets of dry food were allocated for cold-affected people of Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh.

Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchgarh, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Kushtia, Meherpur, Chuadanga, Jashore, Magura, Jhenaidah, Faridpur, Gopalganj, and Sunamganj districts were each allocated 100,000 taka for buying warm clothes.