Cold, foggy weather to continue

Vast swathes of Bangladesh will possibly continue to experience cold and dense fog for at least five more days, the Met Office has forecast.

Meteorologist Mahmudul Kabir says thick fog was causing biting cold in parts of the country.

Bangladesh recorded Thursday's lowest temperature of 11.1 C at Rajshahi. Dhaka's temperature remained between 16.8 C and a maximum of 21.2 C on the day.

Kabir said the fog would gradually thicken in areas near the river but lessen in other parts.

Meanwhile, an accident on the Bangabandhu Bridge involving several vehicles at midnight led to huge traffic gridlock at both ends.

The situation normalised only at noon.

Ferry communication between Dhaka and the south is being disrupted regularly due to thick fog.

On Wednesday night, low visibility caused by heavy fog led to the suspension of river traffic on the key Shimulia-Kewrakandi route snapping Dhaka's communication with 21 southern districts.

It was not until 10am on Thursday when ferries resumed.

BIWTC's Shimulia terminal's Assistant Manager Shekhar Chandra Roy said, "The intensity of fog at Mawa is much greater compared to other places. We shut the ferry services to avoid accidents."

Ferry services on the Daulatdia-Paturia route, too, were suspended for seven hours, leaving three ferries stranded in mid-river.

Met Office in its Friday's forecast said Bangladesh might witness moderate to dense fog from midnight till morning.

The temperature of the day and night are likely to remain unchanged as well.

Moderate cold waves have been forecast for Bangladesh's north, north-east, west and mid regions in late December.