Temperature drops to 7°C in Sreemangal as winter chill descends on Moulvibazar

“Our hands are freezing as we try to pluck tea leaves amid this cold,” a tea estate worker says

The winter chill has sharpened in Moulvibazar amid the moderate cold wave in the district. The low temperature and heavy fog are making daily tasks difficult for the area’s residents.

People from low-income groups, particularly those who work at the tea estates, are having to weather the cold in order to provide for their families. The fog is also making it difficult for travel and transport in the area.

Anisur Rahman, head of the Sreemangal Meteorological Department, said that at 6am on Thursday, the lowest temperature in the district was recorded at 7 degrees Celsius in the Upazila. This means it is experiencing a moderate cold wave.

The cold wave could persist for several more days, he said.

Tea estate workers have wrapped their hands in polythene bags to ward off the morning cold.

Basanti Robi Das, a worker at the Sreemangal Bhurburia Tea Garden, said: “Our hands are freezing as we try to pluck tea leaves amid this cold. But we still have to harvest the leaves. Otherwise, we don’t get our wages.”

Workers are also having difficulty with their livestock in the tea garden area. Some of them have put clothes on their bodies to keep them warm.

Vehicles are travelling with their headlights on in the morning to cut through the fog.

Bachchu Mia, a driver of a tourist jeep in Sreemangal, said: “We have to transport tourists amid this fog. However, the tourists are not suffering from the cold. In fact, they seem to be enjoying it.”