The deaths were reported in Pabna, Satkhira, Narayanganj and Rajshahi amid the cold front that fogged up the horizon, delaying overland, river and air travels and pushing the temperatures to as low as 9.5 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi yesterday and 9 degrees in Jessore on Friday.

Airliners of Biman, Gulf, Emirates and Saudia arrived five to eight hours late at Zia International Airport because of the fog, the flight operation wing of the airport said.

As the chill winds cut through the country, people, especially the elderly and homeless in northern and southwestern districts, lit bonfires to fend off the bite of cold.

The urban people in Dhaka and other cities preferred to stay indoors -- bundled up in warm clothes amid a daylong countrywide hartal enforced by the main opposition Awami League.

Hundreds of people, especially children and the elderly, were taken to cold-related complications over the days.

"The veil of dense fog not only covered Bangladesh, but also giant northern stretches of neighbouring India and Nepal," said Asadur Rahman, deputy forecasting officer of the meteorological department.

"The situation is likely to improve from Monday when day temperatures will begin to rise."

"But the mild cold wave sweeping Jessore and Kushtia regions may last a couple of more days," a weatherman said.

Yesterday's lowest temperature in Dhaka was 12.3 degrees Celsius, down from 12.8 degrees on Friday.

Bangladesh saw its coldest winter in 1968 when mercury slid to 2.8 degrees Celsius in Srimangal.

Launch and ferry operators said the blankets of fogs doggedly hanged until midday blurring vision in a sunless day yesterday, disrupting their services. Some local and inter-city trains to northern districts were stranded for 10 hours, while long-haul buses moved ahead slowly with headlights on.

UNB adds: Eight people -- Hossain Mondol, 65, of Ashutoshpur, Pear Ali, 56, of Dakkhinpara, Madar Fakir, 90, of Purbopara, Shahin, 6, of Sadhupara village in Sadar Upazila, Mamota Begum, 60, of Karkola village in Chatmohar, Karimon Bibi, 77, of Sripur, Muzaffar Bepari, 70, of Govindapur and Alim, 2, of Shanikdia village in Sujanagar -- froze to death in Pabna yesterday.

Our Satkhira correspondent adds: Five newborns died from cold-related diseases at Satkhira General Hospital and Satkhira Shisu Hospital yesterday.

Narayanganj correspondent adds: The cold snap claimed the lives of Kendu Mia, 40, and Aloka Rani, 60, and sent scores of people to hospitals.

Official BSS news agency adds: Three people -- Mesher Ali, 45, of Govindapara village and Sabera Begum, 40, of Rakshitpara village in Banghmara and an unknown child -- died in Rajshahi in past two days.

Our Barisal correspondent adds: Biting cold and chilly winds continued to sweep the southern region, disrupting launch and ferry movement, the key mode of communication to the region.