POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Jan 16, 2023: ‘It’s winter in Magh, Bapu. Can’t bear this cold anymore. Wearing a jacket does not mean winter. The outside is not supported. Erang Thanda Bapu I have suffered a lot.’ Rustam Ali, a resident of Kamatpara area of the district city, was speaking while returning home early in the morning after working as a night watchman in Panchagarh district city. Not only Rustam Ali but also the low income people of Panchagarh have to bear extreme suffering due to the severity of winter.
A cold current has been flowing over Panchagarh since the beginning of January. Sometimes mild sometimes moderate. For the past few days, the temperature of this district has increased, but the severity of winter has not decreased. The severity of the winter has been reversed by cold winds and thick fog. Panchagarh recorded a minimum temperature of 9.3 degrees Celsius on Monday. The temperature in Panchagarh has been fluctuating between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius for the past one week.
The roads were covered in thick fog since Monday morning. Along with this, there is discomfort in the public life due to the north wind. There was a brief glimpse of the sun in the afternoon, but there was no heat. The whole day was full of cold winter. The life of this town in the north has been disrupted due to continuous winter. The sufferings of the low income people of Panchagarh have increased. Many people who depend on daily income have become unemployed during this period due to lack of work. Apart from this, a large part of the workers who remove stones and sand from the frozen river have become unemployed. Some are picking sand and stone in Konkan cold to earn a living. Low income people have to go out with rickshaw vans early in the morning. Agricultural workers are also working hard. On the other hand, the poor winter wearers are spending the night with difficulty due to lack of required number of winter clothes. Many are trying to prevent winter by burning straw. So far, about 40 thousand people have been given winter clothes by government and private sector in the district. However, a large number of districts This number is much less than poor people. Not only winter clothes but the unemployed workers have demanded relief assistance.
A sand worker named Sixful Islam said, the cold has increased so much that I do not have the courage to go down to the river and collect sand. Meanwhile, if we don’t work, the hearth of our family won’t burn. Our days are very difficult. It would have been easier for us if the government had given us relief aid for these two months of winter.
Russell Shah, Officer-in-Charge of Tetulia Meteorological Observatory, said that the temperature has increased slightly due to thick fog. However, due to the cold wind, the severity of the winter remains throughout the day. Two more cold spells are forecast for January.
