The biting cold in the past few days disrupting life in the country’s north has claimed at least 40 lives, mostly children and elderly, according to reports from our correspondents and other sources.
Most deaths occurred in the Sub-Himalayan districts of Kurigram and Thakurgaon, where chilly winds were too much for the elderly and children, especially newborns, Naeem Gawhar Wara, a member of the Bangladesh Disaster Forum, said. During the past two days, reports of 40 deaths came from Kurigram and Rangpur, Wara, who teaches at a private university and is a researcher on disaster management, said, quoting reports.
Last week, 10 children died of cold-related respiratory problems at Rangpur Medical College Hospital, the veteran aid worker added.
During the past two days, at least 127 children were admitted to the Thakurgaon hospital, where three newborns died on Friday and Saturday. Of them, one was two days old, another three days and the other seven days old. They succumbed to pneumonia, diarrhoea and breathing problems due to the extreme cold and inadequate protection against exposure in their first days of life, our Thakurgaon correspondent reported on Saturday.
Ferry services on the Padma were disrupted for hours due to dense fog. It resulted in untold difficulties for bus passengers who availed of the services following the weekend break in nationwide road, rail and riverways blockade by the BNP-led 18-party alliance. It also disrupted supply chains of essentials brought into the capital by trucks.
The cold and haze blanketing the sun for days were further accentuated by drizzles in the northern districts, including Thakurgaon and Rangpur on Saturday afternoon. This made the cold unbearable for the poor without adequate protection.
Although the Thakurgaon district administration distributed 5,000 blankets among the cold-stricken people, their numbers were woefully inadequate. The administration had sought 50,000 blankets, the correspondent said.
In the worst-affected Kurigram, 14 people, including children and elderly, died in the local hospital due to pneumonia and diarrhoea in the past nine days, reports said.
The met office has forecast light rain or drizzle at one or two places in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions and in the regions of Jessore, Kushtia, Comilla and Noakhali.
The mild cold wave sweeping over the regions of Mymensingh, Madaripur, Stakundu, Teknaf, Srimangal, Jessore and Chuadanaga is likely to abate. The night temperatures may rise by 1-2 degrees Celsius and the day temperatures may fall by 1-2 degrees over the country,
the weather office said in its forecast for the next 24 hours beginning 6pm on Saturday. After the rain, the clouds and the fog may clear, bringing in the cold further.
Rangpur recorded one mm of rainfall. The day’s minimum temperature of 8.8 degree Celsius was recorded at Srimangal, followed by 9.5 at Sitakundu,Teknaf and Jessore 9.6 and Chudanaga 9.7.The maximum temperature of 29.5 degree C was recorded at Sitakundu on Saturday.
-With The Independent input
