Our Correspondent
RANGPUR, Jan 6: Intense cold accompanied by thick fog and wind for the last few days has disrupted life in 8 upazilas under Rangpur district. Due to foggy weather coupled with bone chilling cold normal activities came to standstill.
Normal activities of the people came to a halt because of the sudden fall in temperature which dipped to 9 to 11 degrees Celsius during last few days.
Daily bread earners especially the farm labourers are the worst victims as they could hardly work in their respective fields to earn money.
A number of farm labourers including Safiul, Akkas Ali and Ahidul of Mahipur village at Gangachara Upazila said that they went to work in local croplands in the morning but failed to stay there more than 1 to 2 hours because of biting cold, they further said.
As people are compelled to stay indoors, business and official activities are seriously being hindered while attendance in the schools and colleges has declined drastically.
Meanwhile, cold related diseases like diarrhoea, pneumonia and asthma have broken out in the region alarmingly, Rangpur medical sources said.
Rabiul Islam (54), a day labourer of Chhawla area at Pirgachha upazila told The Financial Express that he has been facing shivering cold during the last few days as he has no ability to buy warm clothe because he can't go out for work on account of thick fog and severe cold. He has to pass days in near-starvation, he added.
People living in the char areas beside Teesta, and other rivers of the region are the worst affected. Thousands of people in the district have been passing days miserably without warm clothes. Jahir Uddin (65) at Char Pallimari village under Kawnia upazila told the FE that there seems to be nobody to feel the sufferings of the rural poor as neither the government nor any non-government organisation has come forward to ease their sufferings.
Many poor people are trying to get rid of the biting cold with heat from burning straw and old tyre. Many were found crowded beside makeshift shops in the footpaths to buy warm clothes despite higher prices.
District Relief and Rehabilitation officer Faridul Islam said distribution of warm clothes is going on. So far, they have received some 18,000 pieces of warm clothes from government and around 30,000 pieces from non-government organisations. "As stock of warm clothes is scanty we have already sent emergency message to the concerned ministry for more allotment", he added.
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