People in northern region worst sufferers
The mild cold wave that is sweeping over Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions and the regions of Jessore and Kushtia may continue for a few more days, Met Office said.
The bone-chilling cold spell with dense fog and biting wind has paralysed normal life mainly in the northern part of the country. Meanwhile, the distribution of warm clothes so far is seen to be inadequate.
Country’s lowest temperature of 6.5 degrees Celsius was recorded in Rajshahi yesterday and the highest 25.2 degrees in Sylhet.
Day and night temperatures may rise slightly in Khulna, Barisal and Chittagong divisions and may remain nearly unchanged elsewhere over the country, UNB said quoting the Met Office.
Our district correspondents reported that with the increase of cold-related afflictions in people especially the children and elderly, the number of deaths is rising.
In Rajshahi’s Baghmara, two elderly women died early yesterday. Family sources said Bilkis Bewa, 80, and Noor Jahan, 70, died fighting cold.
Abdul Hannan, deputy commissioner of Rajshahi, said they have got an allocation of 1,400 blankets and warm clothes from the prime minister’s disaster and relief store on Thursday. Those would be brought to Rajshahi after the weekly holidays and distributed after taking requisition from local MPs.
He said 15 percent of the 24 lakh people in the district are extremely poor. The allocation is inadequate and they have already sent a fresh requisition for 20,000 blankets.
Our Rangpur correspondent reported that three newborn babies and an elderly died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital in the last two days.
The babies were aged between one and five days. Another, Ashraful Alam of Guptapara in Rangpur town died at 55.
Toufiqul Islam, director at the hospital, said the cold weather caused their deaths. “The babies could have been saved if the incubators of the hospitals were functional,” he added.
In Kurigram, eight people died in cold-related diseases within the last 48 hours.
Civil Surgeon Dr Reazul Islam, however, said none died from cold-related ailments in the district within the last 48 hours.
The Met Office said 7.8 degrees Celsius was recorded as minimum temperature here yesterday.
The dead are Babar Ali, 72, and Anjuara Begum, 40, of Nageswari upazila, Khaibor Ali, 65, Nural Haque, 90, Rashedul Islam, 25, of Kurigram Sadar upazila, Ajgar Ali, 70, and Fulbabu, 28, of Ulipur upazila, and Abed Ali, 70, of Rajarhat upazila, our Kurigram correspondent reported.
Residential Medical Officer at Kurigram Sadar Hospital Dr Nazrul Islam said, “A total of 168 patients including 27 children have been admitted in the hospital. The children and the diarrhoea units of the hospital have been covered with polythene paper to protect patients from cold winds.”
In Satkhira, three women including two octogenarians died in Tala upazila last night due to the sweeping cold. The victims are Sakhina Bibi, 80, Moyna Bibi, 85, and Asiya Khatun, 45. Of them, Moyna Bibi died of a cold stroke while others due to cold-related complications.
Contacted, Civil Surgeon Dr SZ Atique said the victims died of respiratory and cold-related diseases.
Chilly weather continued causing immense sufferings to the poor people in the district, our correspondent reported.
UNB adds: At least 16 people died in extreme cold in the last three days in Khulna.
Of the deceased, 10 were from Dacop upazila while the others in Koira upazila.
Naresh Mandal, 75, Sudhanya Mandal, 72, Fanibhushan Mandal, 78, Gobinda Mandal, 67, Ramkrishna Chakrabarti, 72, Phuljan Bibi, 78, and Marufa Begum, 57, Tarapada Halder, 72, Anarati Roy, 62, and Anowara Begum, 58, died in Dacop.
In Koira upazila the cold victims were identified as newly-born Taslima, Abul Gazi, 65, Khuku Begum, 26, Ansar Gazi, 77, Marium Begum, 48, and Lalit Mandal, 78.
Dacop UNO Abdul Halim said elderly people might have died of cold-related diseases.
Khulna District Administrator Jamshed Ahmad Kandakar said 2,000 blankets were distributed among the cold-hit people in nine upazilas of the district.
He said several thousand more blankets would be distributed among the people.
-With The Daily Star input
