The persisting cold spell sweeping across the country has intensified further, crippling life and compounding the sufferings of the people, particularly the low-income group.
The country is currently experiencing a severe cold wave with the season’s lowest temperature 6.6°C recorded in Sirajganj and Chuadanga districts on Tuesday morning. The lowest temperature 8.1°C was recorded in Dinajpur and Naogaon on Monday.
The record-breaking low temperature is affecting daily life. The elderly and children are the worst affected as they are suffering from various cold-related diseases. The extreme cold weather has triggered closure of schools in many districts.
The number of people with cold-related diseases is increasing not only in the districts but also in Dhaka city. Hospitals in different districts and in the capital are now overcrowded with patients. Many have been forced to lie on the hospital floor.
The biting cold wave is likely to continue for the next two to three days.
A significant drop in temperature in Chuadanga from 9.5 degrees Celsius on Monday morning to 6.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, prompted people of the district to stay indoors.
Rakibul Hasan, a senior weather observer, said that the district’s minimum temperature was recorded at 6.8 degrees Celsius at 6:00am and 6.6 degrees Celsius at 9:00am.
Bazlur Rashid, a meteorologist at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), confirmed the 6.6 degrees Celsius temperature in Sirajganj on Tuesday, noting that Chuadanga and Sirajganj are experiencing the season’s lowest temperatures simultaneously.
While 6.6°C were recorded in two districts, the temperature fell to 11°C in Dhaka, the lowest in the city this winter. However, the lowest temperature in the city was 12.3 degrees Celsius on Monday.
The BMD on Tuesday reported that the weather pattern, characterised by lower temperatures and dense fog, may continue for 2-3 days in some areas of the country.
Alongside the cold wave, moderate to thick fog is expected to blanket most areas of the country from midnight to morning and it may persist until noon in some areas. The fog may disrupt air navigation, inland river transport, and road communication, says the weather bulletin.
The BMD forecasts light rain or drizzle in one or two places over Khulna division, while the rest of the country is likely to experience dry weather with partly cloudy skies.
The people, especially in the country’s northern region, have been facing severe cold for the last few days.
Amid this situation, many hospitals in the capital including Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College and Hospital, Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute are now grappling with surge in cold-related illnesses.
A huge number of patients were admitted to the hospitals while many others are taking services outdoors. Many of the hospitals have already run out of beds due to rush of patients.
Doctors and guardians of children said that many children are experiencing respiratory problems. “This year’s cold in Dhaka is unprecedented. My daughter fell ill because of the cold,” said Istiaque Ahmed Rana, a resident of city’s Gendaria area whose daughter was admitted at the paediatric ward of Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital.
The hospital is overflowing with with people, particularly the elderly and children. Some families laid mats on the hospital’s balcony and staircases due to the scarcity of beds.
Many patients, who have been forced to lie on the floor of the hospital said the chilly wind are compounding their sufferings. On the third and fourth floors, several patients have set up makeshift beds on mats due to the cold.
A patient of the hospital said, “The hospital authorities told us that they would notify us when a bed will be available. But how can we wait outside amid this freezing wind?
Professor Dr Md Zakirul Islam, head of the hospital’s paediatric department, said that they are trying best to provide treatment to the cold-related patients. He said that bronchiolitis, a common lung infection caused by a virus, primarily requires oxygen support for treatment, which is not feasible at home.
The doctor urged the parents to bring their children to the hospital immediately if they have breathing difficulties, saying that nearly two-thirds of the children admitted to the hospital are suffering from cold-related diseases.
Meanwhile, the government has directed the closure of all primary and secondary schools, including madrasas, if temperatures fall below 10 degrees Celsius.
Schools remained closed in some districts for two to three days and educational institutions in many other districts were closed on Tuesday.
The authorities concerned on Sunday announced the closure of schools in three districts-- Rajshahi, Joypurhat and Kurigram-- for two days (January 21 and 22).
The school closure was extended in the districts. The primary and secondary schools in the districts remained closed for the third day on Tuesday.
On Monday, the authorities concerned announced the closure of schools in several other districts, including Bogura, Naogaon, Pabna, Natore, Nilphamari and Chapainawabganj.
The primary and secondary level educational institutions were also closed in Dinajpur, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Chapainawabganj and some other districts.
In Dinajpur, the lowest temperature was recorded in the district 8.1 degrees Celsius. All the primary schools in the district have been declared closed. However, the authorities concerned could not take any decisions regarding the secondary-level schools till Tuesday evening.
Dinajpur District Primary Education Officer Nazrul Islam told media that all primary schools have been declared closed as the temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Dinajpur district education officer Rafiqul Islam said that secondary level schools have not been declared closed yet. But a decision will be taken at the meeting.
In Nilphamari, all government primary and secondary level educational institutions in the district were declared closed from Monday. The temperature was recorded at 8.8 degrees Celsius at Syedpur Airport in the district on Tuesday morning.
In Rangpur, all the primary schools in the district were declared closed until today (Wednesday).
In Kurigram, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the district Mohammad Saidul Arif declared closure of educational institutions as the temperature in the district has been below 10 degrees Celsius since last Thursday. It will remain in force until further order.
In Chapainawabganj, primary and secondary level schools were closed for two days starting Monday as the temperature dropped below 10 degrees Celsius. The authorities concerned hoped that teaching will start as usual on Wednesday (today).
In Pabna, the primary and secondary level schools all the upazilas in the district were suspended for Monday and Tuesday.
The temperature in Pabna, including Ishwardi upazila, has been below 10 degrees Celsius for the past few days. According to the Ishwardi Meteorological Office, the average temperature in the district was 13 degrees Celsius on last Friday, but it dropped to 10.2 degrees on Saturday. It further decreased to 9.5 degrees Celsius on last Sunday and Monday.
In Kurigram, the authorities declared closure of primary and secondary-level schools as 7.5 degrees Celsius temperature was recorded in the district on Tuesday morning.
Confirming the temperature, Subal Chandra Sarkar, a weather officer at Kurigram’s Rajarhat Meteorological Office, predicted the temperature may rise after January 25.
In Kushtia, Al Mamun Talukdar, a secondary education officer, announced closure of schools in the district as temperature drops to 9 degrees Celsius.
In Khulna, educational institutions also remain closed, with the district Met Office recording a low of 9.6 degrees Celsius at 6:00 am on Tuesday, marking this year’s lowest in the district.
In Naogaon, the authorities concerned have suspended academic activities at primary and secondary schools due to the severe cold, with temperature reaching 9 degrees Celsius.