RAJSHAHI, Jan 21: As the mercury dips below 6.7 degree Celsius in many places of Rajshahi on Tuesday, the sufferings of low income group and slum dwellers turned unbearable.
It is learnt, the day temperature in Rajshahi has been continually decreasing for the last two weeks. Due to low temperature even at mid-day, hundreds of slum dwellers were seen either to stay inside their tattered houses or to warm themselves up by burning straw, wooden materials, fire wood and even toxic polythene.
Sufferings of the children and elderly people knew no bounds. The office-goers, specially teachers, doctors, government employees and non-government job holders who stay at the city areas and work at various upazilas and unions, found it extremely difficult to manage a transport to reach their work places in time. Due to opposition sponsored blockade for more than last two weeks, those people were using open-hooded auto-rickshaws and locally made tempos to reach their destinations braving severe cold.
Ashraful Alam, Officer( in charge) of Rajshahi Meteorological department on January-17 informed the highest day temperature in Rajshahi on January 17 was 20.7 degree Celsius as against a lowest temperature of 11 degree Celsius while on January 18, highest temperature dropped to 16.4 and lowest temperature at 10.3 while on January 19 the highest and the lowest day temperature were 15.7 and 9.9 degree and on Tuesday(20 January) the highest and the lowest day temperature was 15 and 6.7 degree Celsius.
He further informed, as the difference between the lowest and the highest day temperature was very short, a severe cold was being felt throughout Rajshahi and other areas of northern region. Due to blowing of cool air and mild cold wave from the Himalayan range, a bitter cold is being felt every where round the clock and most of the day and night remained shrouded in fog.
However, the day temperature might be increased gradually from the last of January, a source of Rajshahi Meteorological Department indicated.
Meanwhile, due to sudden decrease in temperature throughout the region, a huge crowd was seen to throng the street side winter clothes markets of the city. Absence of movement of buses and other vehicles due to blockade programme the low income group people from rural areas were failing to reach the city centres to procure warm cloths. As a result, their suffering knew no bounds.
Criticising the present political stalemate, Habibur Rahman, a Poultry trader of Alipur village under Durgapur upazila informed the blockade has rendered thousands of working people of the district workless. Their sufferings has also increased manifold due to bitter cold.
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Sufferings of low income people mount due to cold wave and blockade
Our Correspondent | Published: January 22, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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