Cold throws low-wage workers' life out of gear in districts

The prevailing cold spell coupled with extreme foggy weather is exacerbating plight of the low-wage workers, especially day labourers, in Rajshahi, Chandpur, Narail, Lalmonirhat and other districts making it more difficult for them to earn a living.
Failing to bear the pang of chilly weather, they mostly while away time hunkering down at home instead of going out in efforts to make a living to feed their families.
Our Rajshahi correspondent reports: As the prevailing extreme cold weather has reduced people's movement on the roads so it has made a big dent in working people's income. Consequently, they are struggling to maintain their family.
According to the Meteorological Office, the minimum temperature of the day in Rajshahi was 11.8 degrees Celsius.
For the past few days, the maximum and minimum temperature difference in Rajshahi is less, so the severity of winter is felt more.
Md Azid, a day labourer in Shalbagan area of the city, said as he is the lone earner of his eight-member family, braving severe cold, he came out in the early morning making a 15-km bicycle journey. His entire body got soaked in dew drops in the foggy climate.
Sexagenarian Azid said, "If I don't go to work, all members of the family will certainly starve."
Besides Md Azid, about 30 people like Abdul Ghafoor and Moksed from Parila area of Paba upazila; Meraj Uddin and Moslem from Kharkhari bypass; Akbar Ali from Ashraf Mor and Alauddin and Alamgir from Belpukur area of Puthia upazila came to the area in search of work.
They said they come to the city almost every day from far and wide in search of livelihood.
Earlier, their daily income ranged from Tk600 to 700; but since the start of the full winter, work has not been so much available.
Abdul Ghafoor, another day labourer of Parila area of Paba upazila, said, "Coming from home early in the morning and sitting till noon, I cannot find work. As a result, most of the time I have to return home without any income."
Abdus Sattar, cleaner of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), said, "The sun has not risen for the past few days. Due to the cold, movement of people on the roads has reduced. But if I sit at home, my family members will not have food. So I am forced to go to people's houses and bring garbage even in severe cold."
Md Shahjahan made a living by ferrying people in boats on the Padma River. This boatman said he has to drive boat till midnight. The wind and fog in the river makes it very cold.
One has to suffer a lot in winter. But in order to make a living, the boat has to be run from dawn braving severe cold.
Latifa Helen, senior observer of Rajshahi Meteorological Office, said the sky of Rajshahi is covered with dense fog.
Our correspondent from Chandpur adds: Due to chilly wind, blowing from the northwest, for the past two days, life of the common people in Chandpur has become unbearable.
The day labourers, homeless and poor people of the city and char areas are the worst sufferers.
Due to cold waves, the sun remains hidden and the sky remains cloudy all day.
The cold weather accompanied with chilly wind from the north is making life unbearable. None dares go out of doors from morning till evening.
Day labourers hardly go out for work braving the prevailing chilly weather.
Jumman Patwary, a contractor of the area, said, many of his workers are absent in work for the past few days and due to the severe cold weather they are staying at home.
While visiting some areas, the correspondent found that many shops and markets in the city remained shut till 11am amid the cloudy and foggy weather.
Chandpur Weather Observatory Centre's weather man SM Shoeb said, "Minimum temperature was recorded at 14.8 degrees Celsius".
Our correspondent from Narail says: Severe cold wave has crippled life of the low-income people in three upazilas of the district. With scanty income, they are now living a subhuman life.
Bus, auto-rickshaw, CNG-run three-wheeler drivers and van-rickshaw pullers' income has reduced remarkably for a severe dearth of passengers amid the shivering cold.
Faruque Gazi, 40, a van-puller, said that his income has halved due to the cold spell. Because of the reduction in income, he is failing to maintain the family properly.
Mannu Miah, 55, a vegetable vender of Rupganj Bazar, said for the past three days, buyers' presence has dropped due to the cold weather.
Dinabandhu Nandi, 56, a small grocer in the city, said that sales decreased in the past few days for foggy and cold weather.
Our Lalmonirhat correspondent reports: Dense fog and chilly weather made life difficult especially in the morning time for the commoners, day laborers and school-going children.
The people of Teesta and Dharla river basin areas are the worst sufferers for the chilling cold.
Hossen Ali, a rickshaw puller of Khulagat area under sadar upazila of the district, said, "We are forced to go out for work as we have no alternative. But I have not found any passenger yet."
Many locals were seen trying to keep warm by burning tree branches and dry leaves as the temperature keeps falling in the northern region.
Sunlight was not visible whole day in the past few days. According to the Met Office sources, 12.8 degrees Celsius temperature was recorded in Lalmonirhat recently.

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