Chilly winter grips Bangladesh, northern districts hit hard

Bangladesh is reeling under a sharp drop in temperatures, with northern districts like Kurigram facing the harshest conditions.

Over the past week, temperatures have hovered between 11°C and 13°C, with the mercury dipping further at night amid dense fog and biting cold.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has warned of an imminent cold wave that could spread across the region in the coming days.

On Friday morning, Kurigram recorded its lowest temperature at 11.4°C, according to Subal Chandra, an observer at the district's Agricultural Weather Office.

The cold wave is expected to aggravate an already difficult winter for millions of vulnerable people, particularly in northern Bangladesh.

The impact is most severe in the riverine char areas, home to some of the country's most impoverished communities.

Day labourers, elderly residents, and children are among the worst affected. In Kurigram alone, 450,000 char dwellers are struggling to cope with inadequate winter resources.

Majibur Rahman, a day labourer from Jatrapur in Kurigram, lamented, "Winter has begun, but I cannot afford warm clothes. My family and I endure sleepless, freezing nights. We have yet to receive any blankets from either the government or NGOs."

Abdur Razzak, a battery-run auto-rickshaw driver from the district town, described the challenges he faces. "The cold is tolerable during the day but worsens by evening. Driving at night is almost impossible due to the fog and freezing wind," he said.

The government has stepped in with relief measures, distributing 12,000 blankets across Kurigram and allocating Tk 27 lakh for the purchase of warm clothing in its nine sub-districts.

Nationwide, similar efforts are underway, but many argue these measures fall short of meeting the overwhelming demand.

The BMD has identified northern and northwestern districts such as Rangpur, Rajshahi and Panchagarh as cold wave hotspots. International agencies, including the World Meteorological Organization, have noted a broader trend of prolonged winters in South Asia, driven by shifting climatic patterns.

The effects of the cold are felt across Bangladesh, with Dhaka and other central districts also reporting significant temperature drops.

Urban homeless populations, particularly in the capital, are battling the cold without sufficient shelter or warm clothing.

As temperatures continue to fall, experts are calling for a coordinated effort to address the plight of those most affected.