Photo : BSS

RANGPUR, Dec 28, 2025 (BSS) - Normal life is being severely disrupted in the sub-Himalayan northern region of the country due to a severe bone-chilling cold wave that has gripped the region for the fifth consecutive day today, increasing the suffering of common people.
 
The situation worsened further as the maximum temperature dropped again, with the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures reducing to just two to four degrees Celsius, although the minimum temperature increased slightly today.
 
The severity of the biting cold forced people to stay indoors affecting businesses and normal activities while vehicles plied with headlights on as the sun remained covered by clouds and fog amid blowing stronger cooler winds all day today.
 
The district and upazila administrations, NGOs, dozens of voluntary, socio-cultural and charitable organisations have further intensified distribution of warm clothes among the distressed cold-hit people to mitigate their sufferings.
 
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Rangpur Meteorological Office meteorologist Md Mostafizar Rahman said the minimum temperatures marked a little rise at places while maximum temperatures marked further falls in the region today. 
 
"The difference between the minimum and maximum temperatures has come down to just two to four degrees Celsius, resulting in a shivering cold that has further sufferings to common people today," he said. 
 
The minimum temperature of 13 degrees Celsius was recorded at 9 am today against yesterday's 11.8 degrees and maximum of 16 degrees against yesterday's 17.5 degrees Celsius at 3 pm at Rangpur city.
 
The minimum temperatures 13.3 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 11.5 degrees at Tentulia, 13 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 12.7 degrees at Dinajpur, 13 degrees like yesterday at Saidpur, 12 degrees against yesterday's 12.7 degrees at Dimla, 11.3 degrees against yesterday's 11.2 degrees at Rajarhat, 13.4 degrees against yesterday's 13 degrees at Thakurgaon, 13.5 degrees against yesterday's 12.6 degrees at Lalmonirhat and 14 degrees against yesterday's 12.8 degrees Celsius at Gaibandha points were recorded at 9 am today.
 
The maximum temperatures 16.7 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 17.8 at Tentulia, 15.1 degrees against yesterday's 16.3 degrees at Dinajpur, 17.4 degrees aganst yesterday's 18 degrees at Saidpur, 16.5 degrees like yesterday at Dimla, 16 degrees against yesterday's 19.5 degrees at Rajarhat, 15.5 degrees against yesterday's 15.9 degrees at Thakurgaon, 16.2 degrees against yesterday's 18.8 degrees at Lalmonirhat and 15.8 degrees against yesterday's 16.8 degrees Celsius at Gaibandha points were recorded at 3 pm today in the region.
 
The intensity of biting cold became unbearable during the past two days following reduction of the gap between the minimum and maximum temperatures to the minimum in Rangpur like at most places in the sub-Himalayan region.
 
Hospital sources said the number of patients with cough, fever, asthma and other climate change related diseases has increased during the past few days.
 
Rangpur Divisional Director (Health) Dr Md Gausul Azim Chowdhury said adequate steps have been taken in all government hospitals and upazila health complexes to provide proper treatments to the increasing number of cold-related patients.
 
"The number of cold-related patients has increased in the hospitals in recent days and specialist physicians have been conducting their duties round the clock," he added.
 
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) of Rangpur Md Golam Kibria said that distribution of warm clothes continues and more allocations of warm clothes are awaited for distribution among the cold-hit people in the district as elsewhere in the region.
 
Kurigram DRRO Md Abdul Matin said that distribution of blankets and other warm clothes received from the government and locally purchased continues among the cold-hit people in all nine upazilas of the district.
 
Similar reports of disruption of normal life were received here today from Kurigram, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur and Nilphamari districts in the region.