Chilling cold weather along with fog forced tens of thousands of people to stay indoors today as it gripped the northern region in the last 24 hours. Vehicular movement was disrupted in the district as the mercury level dropped further during the past 24 hours ending at 6 pm, reducing the gap between the maximum and minimum temperatures causing bone-chilling cold and exposing the poorer and elderly people and minor children to extreme miseries.

As officials of the district and upazila administrations remains busy inholding the 11th parliamentary election tomorrow, the local authorities are yet to seek extra government allocation of warm clothes for the cold-hit people. According to Rangpur Met Office, minimum temperature of 7.2 degrees Celsius was recorded today against yesterday’s 8.7 degrees Celsius and maximum of 23.5 degrees against yesterday’s 23 degrees Celsius in Rangpur city.

However, the country’s lowest temperature of 5.2 degrees Celsius was recorded today at Rajarhat, monitoring point in Kurigram district at 6 am. Besides, the minimum temperatures recorded today were 6 degrees Celsius at Dinajpur, 7.5 degrees at Syedpur, 7.2 degrees Celsius at Dimla and 5.8 degrees Celsius at Tentulia points in the sub-Himalayan Panchagarh district.

The severity of biting cold forced the commoners to stay indoors affecting normal activities as the sun hid behind dense fogs, mists and clouds amid windy weather almost throughout the day today.

Clouds, mists and thin layers of fogs apparently gave most parts of the extreme northwestern region a gloomy look since the evening.

Director of Rangpur Medical College Hospital Dr Ajay Kumar Roy said the number of cold- related patients has increased in the northern districts making the elderly people, children and babies as the worst sufferers.

However, Dr Ajay said stock of medicines in the hospital as well as other heath facilities was adequate and steps were taken at the government- run health facilities in districts and upazilas to treat the cold-related patients. Meanwhile, different voluntary, professional, socio-cultural and charitable organisations, business bodies and other institutions are extending their hands in distributing warm clothes among the cold-stricken people to mitigate their sufferings.

Deputy Director (Local Government) for Rangpur Ruhul Amin Mian informed BSS this evening that distribution of warm clothes continues among the cold- hit distressed people in the district as elsewhere in the northern region.

 “The distribution process will get full momentum after the December 30 parliamentary polls when more allocations of blankets from the ministry concerned will be available for distribution of those among the cold-hit people,” he added.

Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said the prevailing weather might affect normal growth of Rabi crop plants, including potato and Boro seedbeds, if the situation deteriorates further.

 “Transplantation of Boro seedling has just began in sub-Humayun northern region and the process is being hampered now as the farm- labourers are failing to conduct normal activities amid shivering cold,” he added.