Photo: BSS

RANGPUR, Jan 5, 2026 (BSS) - Normal life is being severely disrupted due to 
severe cold wave conditions for the second consecutive day today, further 
increasing the suffering of the common people in the country's northern sub-
Himalayan region.
 
The situation deteriorated following further falls in the maximum 
temperatures by one degree Celsius and little rise in the minimum 
temperatures at places along with blowing cooler winds from the west and 
northwest amid huge clouds, fogs in the air.
 
The severity of the cold forced thousands to stay indoors affecting 
businesses, office and normal activities while vehicles plied with headlights 
on as the sun remained covered by fog amid blowing stronger cooler winds all 
day today.
 
The suffering of daily wage and agricultural laborers, floating people and 
cattle-heads living in the riverside char areas has increased, making their 
lives even more miserable today.
 
The number of passengers at bus stands, rail stations and river ports reduced 
to the minimum due to the biting cold all day today.
 
Officer-in-Charge of Rangpur Meteorological office meteorologist Md 
Mostafizar Rahman told BSS that both minimum and maximum temperatures marked 
slight rise and fall at places in the region today.

"The gap between minimum and maximum temperatures reduced to just two to four 
degrees Celsius and the sun remained covered by clouds and fog amid blowing 
cooler winds, resulting in severe cold and making life miserable today," he 
said.

As a result, bone-chilling cold is being felt and the poor, distressed and 
displaced people are facing hardship.
 
The minimum temperatures recorded at 9 am today were 12.5 degrees Celsius at 
Rangpur city, 9.5 degrees at Dinajpur, 12.2 degrees at Saidpur, 12.8 degrees 
at Tentulia, 12 degrees at Dimla, 13.4 degrees at Rajarhat, 13 degrees at 
Thakurgaon, 13 degrees at Lalmonirhat and 13.5 degrees Celsius at Gaibandha 
points.

The maximum temperatures recorded at 3 pm today were 15.3 degrees Celsius at 
Rangpur, 14.8 degrees at Dinajpur, 16 degrees at Saidpur, 16.5 degrees at 
Tentulia, 15.3 degrees at Dimla, 16 degrees at Rajarhat, 15.5 degrees at 
Thakurgaon, 16 degrees at Lalmonirhat and 16.5 degrees Celsius at Gaibandha 
points in the region.

Due to the prevailing minimum gap between the maximum and minimum 
temperatures during the past few days, the rising intensity of biting cold 
continues to cause untold miseries to the common people almost everywhere.

The intensity of biting cold became unbearable during the past couple of days 
following reduction of the gap between the minimum and maximum temperatures 
to the minimum in the sub-Himalayan region.
 
The number of patients with cough, fever, asthma and other climate change 
related diseases has increased in recent days, hospital sources and 
physicians said.

Divisional Director (Health) Dr Md Gausul Azim Chowdhury said that adequate 
steps have been taken in all government hospitals and upazila health 
complexes to provide proper treatments to the increasing number of cold-
related patients.
 
"The number of cold-related patients has increased in the hospitals in recent 
days and specialist physicians have been conducting their duties round the 
clock," he added.

The district administrations, NGOs, voluntary, socio-cultural and charitable 
organisations have further intensified distribution of warm clothes among the 
distressed cold-hit people to mitigate their sufferings.

Additional Director (In charge) of the Department of Agricultural Extension 
for Rangpur region Md Shirajul Islam said the prevailing climatic condition 
might affect normal growth of Rabi crop plants if the situation continues for 
a longer period.
 
Reports reaching here from the remote areas said sufferings of thousands of 
people living in the char areas in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur, 
Nilphamari, Bogura and Sirajganj districts on the Brahmaputra basin also 
mounted further today.