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Published : 03 Jan 2025, 03:12 PM
Rony, a homeless young man, lit a small fire beneath the Kalshi Flyover in Mirpur to try and get warm amid the winter chill. He stays under the flyover at night too. But he needs warm clothes in order to drive away the persistent cold.
“The fire has made it less cold, but this thin sweater doesn’t help that much. It gets colder, especially at night. I can’t sleep because I just keep shivering. It would be great to get a piece of warm clothing, but no one has given me anything,” he told bdnews24.com.
Like the day before, Friday saw dense fog prevail in the capital. Like other parts of the country Dhaka has been experiencing a sharper cold since the turn of the year with the sun not showing up until mid-morning.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has reported cold waves sweeping through 13 districts in the country. In its regular bulletin, the BMD reported a mild cold wave hitting Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogura, Naogaon, Kushtia districts and some parts of the Rangpur Division.
The lowest temperature in the country in the 24 hours to 6am on Friday was recorded at 8.3 degrees Celsius in Panchagarh's Tentulia Upazila. The low in Dhaka was 13.6 degrees Celsius.
The BMD forecasts cold weather throughout January.
“It always feels cold in January and there is no scope for the weather to warm up. Instead, it may get colder. Sometimes it will feel a bit warmer when the sun rises, but it will cool again once it stops shining. This will continue for some time,” said Meteorologist Hafizur Rahman.
Zakir Hossain, a rickshaw puller in Mirpur-12, was sitting on his vehicle while huddled against the cold.
“The chilly wind hits me the moment I start pedalling the rickshaw and I begin to shiver. I am wearing some thin winter clothes, but they aren’t enough. Unfortunately, I don’t have more,” the rickshaw puller said.
Sabuj, a vegetable vendor, said he was getting fewer customers because of the cold weather. He, too, started later than usual in the morning.
“People don’t show up. Business has gone down. I started selling vegetables at 8am instead of 9am myself. These days, sales don’t pick up until 10am.”
Hafiz Ahmed, who works in a private company, was waiting for transport at 8:15am at a bus stop in Mirpur 11. His destination was Karwan Bazar.
Although his office starts at 9am, Hafiz could not leave home on time due to the chilly weather, he said.
“I feel like staying under the covers a little longer. I don’t feel like waking up early. Sweaters are not enough to combat this cold. It would be great to stay home in this chilly weather, but that’s not an option. I need to head out. Otherwise, I’ll be late for the office.”
Motorcyclists say they suffer the most from the cold weather, with their jackets not sufficient to ward off the wind chill.
Ismail Hossain regularly drives his motorbike for a ride-sharing service and was waiting to get passengers at Pallabi.
He said he used to wear a single jacket but had switched to two in an attempt to get warm.
“My hands become numb because of the cold wind when I drive my motorcycle. I can’t move them. Mornings are not suitable for driving motorbikes, but I have to provide for my family. So here I am.”
Trader Waliur Rahman says, “I wear a jacket over my shirt. Then a windbreaker on top of it. I wear gloves and a muffler. Even then, I can’t fend off the cold. I caught a small cold only two days ago. I have no transport option other than ride-sharing bikes. Buses take longer and they aren’t always available.”
In its long-term forecast for January, the BMD predicted one to two moderate to severe cold waves will hit the west, north and northeastern parts of the country and two to three mild to moderate cold waves in other parts throughout the month.
A cold wave begins when the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius over a significant area. When temperatures are between 8-10 degrees Celsius, it is considered a mild cold wave. Temperatures between 6-8 degrees Celsius constitute a moderate cold wave. A severe cold wave occurs when the temperature drops below 6 degrees Celsius.
