Photo: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, Dec 27, 2025 (BSS) - The sweeping cold wave coupled with cooler 
winds, cloud and fog deteriorated weather in the last 24 hours ending at 6 pm 
in the northern region where normal life remained disrupted today.
 
The situation deteriorated sharply and many people were forced to stay at 
homes while the number of vehicles plying on the roads and highways was low 
till 10 am today.
 
The gap between the minimum and maximum temperatures sharply reduced due to a 
sharp fall in the maximum temperatures by six to eight degrees Celsius 
causing the bone-chilling cold today.
 
The farm-laborers and day-laborers could not conduct normal works and fewer 
numbers of people were seen outside homes as thick layers of cloud and fog 
covered the sun all day today in most areas. 
 
The elderly people, women and babies are the worst sufferers, especially in 
rural and riverine char areas, due to the sweeping bone-chilling cold in the 
sub-Himalayan northern region. 
 
Meanwhile, the district and upazila administrations, Deputy Commissioners, 
DRROs, Upazila Nirbahi Officers, business bodies and financial institutions 
have intensified distribution of warm clothes among the cold-hit people in 
the region.
 
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Rangpur Meteorological Office Meteorologist Md 
Mostafizar Rahman said the minimum temperatures remained mostly unchanged 
with a little rise at places while maximum temperatures marked sharp falls in 
the region today. 
 
"Compared to yesterday, the difference between the minimum and maximum 
temperatures has come down to just four to eight degrees Celsius, resulting 
in a bone-chilling cold, which has further exacerbated the suffering of the 
common man today," he said. 
 
The minimum temperature of 11.8 degrees Celsius was recorded at 9 am today 
against yesterday's 11.2 degrees and maximum of 17.5 degrees against 
yesterday's 22.4 degrees Celsius at Rangpur city.
 
The minimum temperatures recorded at 9 am today were 11.5 degrees Celsius 
against yesterday's 11 degrees at Tentulia, 12.7 degrees Celsius against 
yesterday's 11.5 degrees at Dinajpur, 13 degrees against yesterday's 11.4 
degrees at Syedpur, 12.7 degrees against yesterday's 10 degrees at Dimla, 
11.2 degrees against yesterday's 11.4 degrees at Rajarhat, 13 degrees against 
yesterday's 11 degrees at Thakurgaon, 12.6 degrees against yesterday's 11.8 
degrees at Lalmonirhat and 12.8 degrees against yesterday's 11.9 degrees 
Celsius at Gaibandha points.
 
The maximum temperatures 17.8 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 24.1 
degrees at Tentulia, 16.3 degrees against yesterday's 24.5 degrees at 
Dinajpur, 16.6 degrees against yesterday's 20.9 degrees at Dimla, 19.5 
degrees like yesterday at Rajarhat, 15.9 degrees against yesterday's 21.2 
degrees at Thakurgaon, 18.8 degrees against yesterday's 20 degrees at 
Lalmonirhat and 16.8 degrees against yesterday's 22.2 degrees Celsius at 
Gaibandha points were recorded at 3 pm today.
 
Local people said the sun remained covered behind thick layers of clouds and 
fog affecting vehicular traffic and forcing the drivers to put headlights of 
their vehicles on to avert accidents.
 
Officials at different hospitals and upazila health complexes said the number 
of pneumonia, fever, diarrhoea, asthma and respiratory problem related 
patients marked rise today forcing the doctors to remain very busy. 
 
Rangpur Divisional Director (Health) Dr Md Gausul Azim Chowdhury said there 
are ample stocks of medicines and steps have been taken in all government 
hospitals and upazila health complexes to provide treatments to cold-related 
patients of the division. 
 
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) of Kurigram Md Abdul Matin 
said that distribution of about 21,000 pieces of warm clothes received from 
the government and locally purchased continues among the cold-hit people in 
all nine upazilas of the district.
 
Talking to BSS tonight, Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Enamul Ahsan 
said that distribution of 20,000 pieces of winter clothes to the poor and 
cold-stricken people in the district has already been completed.
 
"We are planning to distribute more 7,000 to 8,000 pieces of warm clothes in 
the next couple of days among cold-hit people of all eight upazilas in the 
district to mitigate their sufferings," he said, adding that more government 
allocations are expected very soon.
 
Similar reports of disruption of normal life were received here today from 
remote and riverine char areas of Kurigram, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, 
Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur and Nilphamari districts in the region.