RANGPUR, Jan 10, 2023 (BSS) - The northernmost town of Tentulia today
recorded the country's lowest temperature of 6.9 degrees Celsius as a mild
cold wave continued seeping over the northern region exposing the poor,
elderly people and children to intense miseries.
 
Met Office sources said the minimum temperatures mostly remained unchanged
with little ups and downs at most places in the last 24 hours ending at 6 pm
this evening adding misery to common people in the region.
 
Besides, the recorded minimum temperatures were-- 10.8 degrees Celsius at
Rangpur, 7.9 degrees at Dinajpur, 9 degrees at Saidpur, 8.2 degrees Celsius
at Dimla and 8 degrees Celsius at Rajarhat monitoring points in the region.
 
However, the weather marked slight improvement as the sun appeared in a clear
sky free from fog and clouds across the northern region from 10 am bringing
little relief to the common people till 4 pm today.
 
According to local residents, the severity of the cold forced thousands to
stay indoors affecting businesses and normal activities as the sun remained
covered by fog and clouds till 10 am today amid blowing cooler winds.
 
The district administrations, trade bodies, banks, voluntary, sociocultural
and charitable organisations and NGOs have further intensified distribution
of warm clothes among the cold-hit people to mitigate their sufferings.
 
Rangpur District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) Md. Motahar Hossain
said distribution of 75,000 pieces of blankets allocated, so far, by the
government are being distributed to cold-stricken people of the district.
 
"We are expecting to get more allocations of warm clothes from the Ministry
of Disaster Management and Relief to further intensify distribution of the
same among cold-hit poorer section people to mitigate their sufferings,"
Hossain added.
 
Kurigram DRRO Md Abdul Hye Sarker said Kurigram DRRO Abdul Hye Sarker said
the district administration continues distribution of 53,000 pieces of
blankets allocated, so far, by the government among cold-affected people of
the district.
 
Rangpur Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman said adequate
steps have been taken in all district, upazila and union level health service
facilities to provide proper treatments to the increasing number of cold-
related patients.
 
"The physicians are conducting their duties round the clock in all hospitals
and other health service facilities in Rangpur division," he added.
 
Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) at its
regional office here Agriculturist Mohammad Shah Alam said agriculture
officers are assisting farmers in nursing growing crop plants and Boro rice
seedlings to save those from cold injuries.
 
He suggested farmers irrigate Boro rice seedbeds at nights and discharge
water in the mornings and keep seedbeds under cover of polythene sheets to
save seedlings from cold injuries if the situation deteriorates.