Cold-related diseases have affected 5,998 people across the country in the last 24 hours. Government data as released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) control room revealed this yesterday. Of the total, 948 of the patients received treatment for acute respiratory infection while 1,980 others were treated for diarrhoea with 3,070 more for other diseases like jaundice, inflammation in the eye, skin diseases and fever.

Fifty-one deaths were reported across the country between November 1 and January 1 due to the cold-related diseases. Meanwhile, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials said the shivering cold weather, now sweeping the country – especially in northern districts, has affected Boro seedbeds in many places of Rangpur region – thereby triggering a fear of a seedling crisis in the current season.

Farmers said many seedbeds have already turned yellowish and seedlings are getting dried following the biting cold coupled with dense fog. The DAE has fixed a target of preparing seedlings on 23,201 hectares of land in Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha and Nilphamari districts in the current Boro season.

Quasem Mia, a farmer of Ramchandrapur in Kaunia upazila of Rangpur, said his seedbeds have turned yellowish under the impact of the chilly weather. Another farmer hailing from Kashbagh in Rangpur city, Asaduzzaman said seedlings aged 20-25 days have been badly affected.

According to the farmers, they sprayed medicines in the affected seedbeds but did not get any positive output. They fear that seedlings will be damaged if the bone-chilling cold continues for a few days more. Under the circumstances, farmers fear that there might be a crisis of seedlings during the plantation of current Boro season as it will not be possible for many to prepare seedbeds afresh.

They think that they will be forced to purchase seedlings from the market at a higher price, which will eventually increase their production cost. Besides, the farmers said, they might not get quality seedlings in the market that will affect the production target largely.  DAE officials, however, could not provide any data about the exact extent of damage caused to the seedbeds by the shivering cold.

Rangpur DAE Additional Director Mohammad Ali said the damage will be assessed once the weather becomes normal. He also said they have advised farmers to cover their seedbeds with polythene, spray sulfur-mixed medicine and use urea and gypsum in the seedbeds to get a positive output.