Hacked  By  r4dBlack

DHAKA: Although the well-off section of society eagerly waits for winter for recreation, the sweeping cold wave has hit the poor people hard, particularly the northerners.

“There'll be no respite from cold, as the country might experience mild to moderate cold waves for the next few days as well,” said a meteorologist.

The cold wave now sweeping Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal divisions and the regions of Srimongol, Mymensingh, Tangail, Faridpur, Madaripur, Comilla and Feni, and the northern region, including Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts, has left the normal life in disarray.

According to the meteorologist, the dense fog that overcast the skies in many regions in the last couple of days might continue for the next few days. “There's a possibility of further fall in temperature when the fog will disappear,” he said.

He said the ongoing mild to moderate cold wave started on December 21 and its intensity might not deepen further in the next few days but it will continue.

The country's lowest temperature of 6.09 degrees Celsius was recorded in Jessore on Friday.

Thick blankets of fog disrupted movement of all modes of transport in many areas.

Dense fog also disrupted flights at Zia International Airport and Shah Amanat Airport in Chittagong in the last two days, said a civil aviation official.

Meanwhile, various social organisations and NGOs have started distributing warm clothes among the poor in the cold-hit areas as part of emergency response to the cold wave.

According to UNB's Rajshahi correspondent, the sufferings of the poor people in the district have aggravated, as they are not getting warm clothes.

Elderly people and children of the poor families in the cold-hit districts are the worst victims, as they cannot afford to buy warm clothes.

In Lalmonirhat, the government has so far distributed 5,000 blankets although the number of poor is over 2 lakh in the district.

BSS adds: Five people died in the last two days due to cold-related diseases in Lalmonirhat district.

The victims are Shyamal, 65, of Rajpur, Mazeda Begum, 60, of Talpatti, Rahim, 80, of Kocha Bari, Mohen Chandra, 67, of Harati and Babu Moni, 5, of the same area.

The people of char areas and day laborers of the district are suffering due to the shivering cold.