A spell of severe cold wave is likely to begin on Saturday and will continue for at least four to five days. The present mild cold wave sweeping across different parts of the country, including the capital city of Dhaka, will lose its intensity on Thursday. Rangapur, Rajshahi, and Sylhet divisions are likely to experience light to moderate rain from tonight (Wednesday).

Various cold-related diseases have affected 5,852 people across the country in the last 24 hours. According to the disaster management and relief ministry, the government has allocated over 32 lakh blankets to cold-affected people across the country. Among these, the disaster management and relief ministry has provided 726,800 blankets, while 2,469,100 have been allocated from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. The blankets are for free distribution to those affected by the cold in 64 districts, according to sources.

The lowest temperature of 6 degrees Celsius was recorded in Panchagarh’s Tetulia yesterday (Wednesday), the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said. “People in some parts of the country will get a respite from the cold wave for the next 48 hours," it noted. "But the people of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna, and parts of Dhaka divisions are likely to experience a severe cold wave from Friday midnight that will continue for four to five days,” Arif Hossain, meteorologist of the BMD, told this correspondent yesterday.

“The people of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions will experience light to moderate rain, which is likely to start tonight (Wednesday) and will continue for the next 48 hours. The weather may remain mainly dry with temporary cloudy sky in the rest of the country,” Arif said. He further said moderate to thick fog may occur over the country from midnight till the morning.

A mild cold wave is sweeping over Rangpur division and the regions of Rajshahi, Jashore, Chuananga and Tangail and it may abate, he added. According to Arif, night temperature may rise by 1–2 degrees C and day temperature may rise slightly across the country.

In 2018, the temperature in Tetulia had plummeted to 2.6 degrees C, the lowest-ever recorded temperature in Bangladesh’s history. Panchagarh has been shivering in a cold wave sweeping across the district for the last two weeks. The poor, day labourers, children and the elderly are the worst sufferers. People below the poverty line are suffering badly as they are unable to go out of their houses and find work. Various cold-related diseases have affected 5,852 people across the country in the last 24 hours.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) control room,  845 people received treatment for acute respiratory infection (ARI) yesterday. The northern region, in particular, has been suffering as the mercury dipped.

In total, 296 upazilas have been affected by cold-related diseases. In the last 24 hours, 1,957 people were treated for diarrhoea, and 3,050 for cold-related diseases, including jaundice, inflammation in the eye, skin diseases, and fever.

The deaths of 51 people were reported from across the country between November 1 and January 8 due to ARI, diarrhoea,i and other cold-related diseases. Ten of the ARI-related deaths were recorded at Khagrachhari.

Four of the victims died of diarrhoea, while other cold-related diseases killed 30 people during this period.