The ongoing cold wave sweeping across the northern region, particularly Panchagarh, has intensified the suffering of disadvantaged communities, while daily wage earners are facing declining incomes as adverse weather conditions force them to reduce their working hours.
As Panchagarh’s Tetulia upazila recorded the country’s lowest temperature for the eighth consecutive day today, this correspondent spoke to people from different sections of the area.
They expressed difficulties in coping with the prolonged cold spell.
Workers Taherul Islam and Nazirul Islam of Buraburi Balabari village in the upazila, who earn their livelihoods by extracting stones from the Mahananda River, said they have been forced to cut their working hours due to adverse weather.
Usually, they work from 8:00am to 5:00pm throughout the year. However, for more than a week now, they have been going into the river only after 10:00am and wrapping up work by 3:00pm, as cold winds continue to blow throughout the day.
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They said they earn between Tk 800 and Tk 1,100 a day if they can work for eight to nine hours. But with shortened working hours, their daily earnings have dropped to around Tk 400.
Shafiqul Islam, a rickshaw-van puller from Aziznagar area, said it has become increasingly difficult to pull his van amid the cold weather. He said he can work for four to five hours during the daytime, but it is almost impossible to stay on the road in the early morning and evening.
Apart from livelihood challenges, poor people -- especially children and the elderly -- are bearing the brunt of the prolonged cold spell.
Amena Bewa, 72, of Sardarpara village said surviving the cold has become increasingly difficult.
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“During the daytime, I somehow manage by sitting in the sun. But nights are unbearable. Even after wrapping myself in two or three blankets and a katha, I can't stay warm,” she said.
To support cold-stricken poor people, the government and various non-government organisations have been distributing blankets and warm clothes, though the supply remains inadequate compared to demand.
Contacted, Afroz Shaheen Qhosru, upazila nirbahi officer of Tetulia, said 3,500 blankets have already been distributed among people, with around 400 more in the pipeline.
Tetulia recorded the country’s lowest temperature for the eighth consecutive day today, with the mercury dropping to 8.5 degrees Celsius at 9:00am today.
Meteorological officials say icy winds sweeping down from the Himalayan region are intensifying the cold spell across northern Bangladesh, particularly in the districts of Panchagarh and Thakurgaon.
According to forecasters, the conditions are expected to persist, with no significant change likely over the next few days, prolonging discomfort for residents in the region.
Meanwhile, hospitals in the districts have reported an increase in patients, particularly children and elderly people suffering from cold-related ailments.
Agriculture officials advised farmers to take precautionary measures to protect crops, especially Boro seedbeds, which have already been affected in some areas.
