Bone-chilling cold gripped the country, especially the northern districts, with the lowest-ever 2.6 degrees Celsius temperature being recorded in Panchagarh’s Tentulia on Monday, as the cold wave keeps on battering normal life and leading to the deaths of a number of people.

There is also no good news for the cold-hit people as the Met office says the chilling weather is likely to prevail across the country until Wednesday when mercury may fall further in the central and southern parts, reports the UNB. 

At least 12 people, including six children, have so far died of cold-related diseases in Rajshahi, Kurigram and Thakurgaon districts over the last four days as the northern districts bear the brunt of the cold wave.

Many children and the elderly people have been suffering badly from various cold-related diseases and crowding hospitals and clinics.

Besides, the poor, particularly the day labourers and rickshaw-pullers, have been suffering badly due to the shivering cold. Those living in slums and chars have also become the worst suffers for lack of adequate warm clothes.

People in the capital city also experienced 9.5 degrees Celsius temperature on Monday which is the lowest temperature of this season, said Omar Farroque, a meteorologist at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

He also gave another bad news that the temperature in the capital may dip further on Tuesday. Dhaka experienced the lowest temperature of 5.6 degrees Celsius in 1964.

The meteorologist said the highest temperature was recorded 25.6 degrees Celsius in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar district.

Farroque said the overall temperature of the country will improve from Thursday. 

Zakir Hossain, an official at the Tentulia Meteorological observatory office, said the mercury fell to 2.6 degrees Celsius in the morning, which is the lowest ever temperature in history of the last 67 years.

On Sunday, Bangladesh Met office recorded the temperature at 8.5 degrees Celsius in the district.

The lowest temperature in the country’s history was recorded at 2.8 degrees Celsius in Srimangal upazila of Moulvibazar district in 1968.

UNB Panchagarh correspondent reports that the record-breaking cold couple with thick fog crippled life in the district.

The poor, mainly the day labourers and rickshaw-pullers, were hit hard for lack of work as most people were forced to stay indoors due to the shivering cold.

Most public places, including haats, bazaars, bus stands, and other places looked deserted as fewer people came out of their homes for the bad weather.

Bangladesh Met office recorded 2.9 degrees Celsius in Saidpur upazila and 3 degrees Celsius in Dimla of Nilphamari district, 3.1 degrees Celsius in Rajarhat upazila of Kurigram district, 3.2 degrees Celsius in Dinajpur district, 4 degrees Celsius in Badalgachhi upazila in Naogaon district, 4.9 degrees Celsius in Rangpur district degrees Celsius, 5.3 degree Celsius in Rajshahi, 5.4 degrees Celsius in Chuadamga, 5.5 degrees Celsius in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna and Bogra district and 5.6 degrees Celsius in Jessore district, Met office said.

A severe cold wave is sweeping Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions and the regions of Tangail, Srimangal and Chuadanga.

A mild to moderate cold wave is blowing over Mymensingh and Barisal divisions, rest parts of Dhaka, Sylhet and Khulna divisions and the regions of Sandwip, Sitakunda, Comilla and Noakhali and it may continue.