Photo: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
  
RANGPUR, Dec 24, 2025 (BSS) – A large number of people have been forced to stay indoors, especially in the riverine char areas, for the second consecutive day today due to bone-chilling cold, clouds and fog in the country’s northern region. 
 
Officials at Rangpur Met Office said both minimum and maximum temperatures marked falls during the past 24 hours ending at 9 am today reducing the gap between them to only 4 to 8 degrees Celsius causing the chilling cold for the second consecutive day.
 
Earlier on Tuesday, minimum temperatures remained mostly unchanged and maximum temperatures marked a sharp fall by 5 degrees Celsius on average, reducing the gap between the two temperatures to 4 to 12 degrees causing a chilling cold.
 
Officer-in-Charge of Rangpur Meteorological office meteorologist Md Mostafizar Rahman told BSS that the extreme cold was felt for the second consecutive day today as the gap between minimum and maximum temperatures further narrowed amid the sun being hidden behind the cloudy and foggy air.
 
“Besides, a blowing cooler wind increased the intensity of cold causing misery to common people,” Rahman mentioned.
 
He said the minimum temperature of 12.2 degrees Celsius was recorded at 9 am today against yesterday's 13.2 degrees and maximum of 17.5 degrees against yesterday's 20 degrees Celsius at Rangpur city.
 
The minimum temperatures recorded today were 11.6 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 12.5 degrees at Tentulia, 11.5 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 12.5 degrees at Dinajpur, 12 degrees against yesterday's 13 degrees at Syedpur, 12.4 degrees against yesterday's 13.5 degrees at Dimla, 11.5 degrees against yesterday's 12 degrees at Rajarhat, 11.5 degrees against yesterday's 12.3 degrees at Thakurgaon and 11.8 degrees against yesterday's 13.5 degrees Celsius at Gaibandha points.
 
The maximum temperatures recorded at 3 pm today were 17.5 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 20 degrees at Rangpur, 16.5 degrees Celsius like yesterday at Tentulia, 19.5 degrees against yesterday's 20 degrees at Dinajpur, 16.5 degrees against yesterday's 21.2 degrees at Dimla, 18.7 degrees against yesterday's 24 degrees at Rajarhat, 18.2 degrees against yesterday's 19.4 degrees at Thakurgaon and 18.5 degrees against yesterday's 20.5 degrees Celsius at Gaibandha points in the region.
 
Local residents said the extreme weather aggravated sufferings of those living particularly on the sandy char areas on the Brahmaputra basin today.  
 
Physicians at different hospitals and upazila health complexes said they continued to treat a higher number of people, including aged citizens and babies, with cough, fever, asthma and other cold and climate change related diseases during the past couple of days.
  
Divisional Director (Health) Dr Md Gausul Azim Chowdhury said steps were taken at the government-run health facilities in all eight districts and all upazilas under Rangpur division to treat the cold-related patients.
 
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) of Rangpur Md Golam Kibria told BSS that distribution of warm clothes continues among the cold-hit distressed people in the district as elsewhere in the sub-Himalayan northern region.
 
"We have got allocations of Taka 48 lakh from the ministry concerned and 7,500 pieces of blankets from the Chief Adviser’s Relief Fund so far and distribution of those continues among the cold-hit people in all eight upazilas in Rangpur," he said.
  
Kurigram DRRO Md Abdul Matin said that the concerned ministry has allocated Taka 54 lakh for purchasing warm clothes locally and distributing among the cold-hit people.
 
“We have also received 7,500 pieces of blankets from the Chief Adviser’s Relief Fund in two phases. Distribution of blankets and purchasing of warm clothes locally and distribution continues in all nine upazilas of Kurigram,” DRRO Md Abdul Matin added.
 
The DRROs hoped that more allocations of money and blankets are expected soon.