A Correspondent:
Gaibandha: Intensity of cold wave with dense fog has increased due to decreasing the temperature yes-terday paralysing the normal life of common people in urban and rural areas of the district.
Severe cold wave coming from Himalayas made lives of the dwellers especially the homeless and the char people of the district miserable and intolerable.
According to Met Office, Rangpur the lowest temperature was recorded 10.30 degree Celsius this morn-ing here.
The intensity of chili goes high before sunrise and after sunset. Commuters are facing troubles in getting vehicles particularly tempo, rickshaw and van as the presence of the vehicles on roads and bus stands are very thin.
The cold wave victims are mostly babies, children and the aged people from poor and low-income fami-lies living in the straw huts and fragile dwellings that are exposed to the chilly winds blowing from the north.
Poor people particularly farmers and day-laborers are the worst sufferers as they can’t work in the field due to stronger cooler wind.
They are crowding to the shops of second hand warm clothes and buying those at high prices as the shop owners have increased the prices of all warm clothes due to heavy demand.
Many of the destitute are trying to combat this bone-chilling cold through heat generated from burning heaps to straw and old rubber tires. Animals in sheds are covered with old sacks.
As the weather has deteriorated further due to fall in the days maximum temperatures, the residents of sandy char areas in the Brahamaputra and the Teesta River basins are the worst affected and they are fac-ing bone chilling cold wind in those areas.
Saiful Islam of Barobaldia village under Sadar upazila said he cannot go to field work due to cold wave and dense fog.
