Prolong cold wave grips northern Bangladesh as Tetulia records 7.3°C

Panchagarh's Tetulia recorded a minimum temperature of 7.3 degrees celsius at 9:00am today, as a cold wave continued to sweep across northern Bangladesh.

Wind speeds ranged between 8 and 10 kilometres per hour, while humidity stood at 90 percent, said Jitendranath Ray, acting officer of the Tetulia Weather Observatory.

The district has been experiencing a mild to moderate cold wave since Tuesday, with temperatures ranging between 6.8 degrees celsius and 9.5 degrees celsius, according to the observatory.

Elsewhere in the northern region, temperatures were recorded at 8.1 degrees celsius in Thakurgaon, 8.1 degrees celsius in Nilphamari’s Dimla, 9.8 degrees celsius in Kurigram’s Rajarhat, 10.2 degrees celsius in Rangpur, and 9.6 degrees celsius in Dinajpur.

The prolonged cold spell has disrupted daily life and intensified suffering, particularly among low-income people who remain outdoors for most of the day.

Niranjan Roy, 25, who was loading scrap onto a truck in Thakurgaon municipality’s Kalibari area last night, said continuous northwesterly winds over the past week have made it difficult to work.

Nasim, 45, a restaurant worker in Panchagarh town, said his duty hours from 3:00pm to midnight have become increasingly challenging due to the biting cold.

Rickshaw pullers, day labourers and domestic workers reported similar hardships, as falling temperatures sharply reduced working hours and income.

Hospitals across the region have also seen an increase in patients, particularly children and elderly people, suffering from cold-related illnesses.

Agriculture officials advised farmers to take precautionary measures to protect crops, especially boro seedbeds, which have already been affected in some areas.

Although blankets and warm clothes are being distributed in districts such as Panchagarh and Thakurgaon, cold-affected residents said the assistance remains insufficient to meet demand.