Rajshahi records the season's lowest temperature at 7 degrees Celsius.— Photo THE DAILY STAR/ANN

THAKURGAON — The cold wave sweeping northern Bangladesh has intensified the sufferings of poor and disadvantaged people, disrupting daily life and business activities.

The Tetulia Weather Observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 8.6 degrees Celsius at 9 am today, with wind speeds of 6-8 kilometres per hour and humidity at 99 per cent, said Jitendranath Ray, acting officer of the observatory.

The severity has forced people indoors, disrupting business and official activities, while school and college attendance has declined.

Rahena Begum, 60, of Sahapara village in Panchagarh’s Boda upazila, said, “The severity of the cold has become hard to bear, especially from evening to morning. Even after covering myself with two or three blankets, the whole night does not feel warm.”

Meherun Nesa, 56, a house-help from Badupara village in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, said braving the cold to go out in the morning and carry on with household chores has become extremely difficult as her hands and legs turn stiff.

Anikul Chandra Barman, 55, of Moidandighi village in Panchagarh’s Boda upazila, said it has become difficult to stay in crop fields to carry out necessary activities as cold northerly winds continue to sweep the area.

Abu Jafar, a grocery shop owner at Kalibari in Thakurgaon municipality, was seen warming himself by lighting a fire with wood and waste materials. He said it becomes difficult to continue business during the cold without keeping the body warm.

A lower presence of students in educational institutions was reported due to the cold weather.

Elsewhere in the region, minimum temperatures were recorded at 9 degrees Celsius in Dinajpur, 10 degrees in Saidpur, 11.9 degrees in Rangpur, and 10.5 degrees in Kurigram’s Rajarhat this morning, said observatory official Jitendranath.

Rajshahi recorded the season’s lowest temperature at 7 degrees Celsius, he added.

During the last week, Tetulia recorded minimum temperatures ranging between 8.6 and 12.8 degrees Celsius. Maximum temperatures were recorded at 16.5 degrees Celsius on Monday and 15.5 degrees on Sunday.

“Although the sun appeared for a few hours during the day, weak sunshine failed to raise the daytime temperature,” Jiten said, adding that such weather may continue for the next few days.

Meanwhile, the number of patients suffering from cold-related illnesses, particularly children and the elderly, has increased in hospitals due to the severe cold.— THE DAILY STAR/ANN