Cold wave, thick fog bring country to standstill

Abu Jakir :

The country is in the grip of an intensifying winter spell, as dense fog and falling temperatures have brought daily life to a near standstill across much of the country, from the northern plains to the southern coast and the capital, Dhaka.

Although the first week of Poush passed without severe cold, the chill deepened sharply in recent days.

Thick fog has settled over large swathes of the country, amplifying the cold and disrupting transport, work and healthcare.

The brunt of the hardship has fallen on low-income and working-class people — day laborers, rickshaw pullers, construction workers and others whose livelihoods depend on working outdoors.

Ranju Mia, a rickshaw puller from Mirpur, told The New Nation that the biting cold of the past few days has made it nearly impossible for him to pedal his rickshaw for long hours. “My hands go numb and my body just won’t respond,” he said.

With fewer trips and shorter working days, his earnings have fallen sharply, pushing his four-member family into a growing financial crisis.

According to Media reports, at least half a dozen people have died from cold-related causes over the past few days.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has warned that temperatures may fall further until Wednesday, accompanied by persistent fog.

In its 24-hour forecast issued on Monday morning, meteorologist Khandaker Hafizur Rahman said daytime temperatures are likely to remain largely unchanged, while night temperatures could dip slightly across the country.

The forecast also said the weather would remain dry with partly cloudy skies, but from midnight to morning, moderate to dense fog could form in many areas and, in some places, linger until noon.

Such conditions, the department warned, could temporarily disrupt air traffic, inland water transport and road communication.

On Monday, data published by the Meteorological Department showed that the lowest temperature in the country was recorded in Nikli, Kishoreganj, at 10 degrees Celsius, later dipping to 9.8 degrees. The highest temperature, 29 degrees Celsius, was recorded in Teknaf.

Wrapped in a blanket, 65-year-old Faruk Mia sits in front of a tea stall near his home, watching a Bangla film on television with others.

This is usually the peak season for planting boro rice, when people in the haor areas work every day. But for the past two days, the severe cold has kept many, including Faruk Mia, from going to work.

Faruk Mia lives in the Kursha area of Nikli in Kishoreganj. “At 65, I have never felt cold like this before,” he said. “The cold freezes my body. I can’t even go to work. If this kind of cold continues, we won’t survive.”

A short distance away, 70-year-old Rahima Akhtar sits in front of her house, wrapped in a blanket with her grandchild in her arms.

“I have never seen such cold in Nikli in my entire life,” she said. “The sun doesn’t come out all day. The children don’t go outside either. They pass the whole day sleeping indoors.”

The fog has already forced major transport shutdowns. On Saturday night, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority suspended all vessel movement in Chandpur and much of the southern region due to poor visibility. Ferry services on key river routes were also halted.

The Aricha–Kazirhat route remained closed for nine hours, while the Paturia–Daulatdia route was shut for six hours, leaving passengers and vehicles stranded. Officials said services were suspended to prevent accidents.

Across the country, local reports paint a picture of mounting distress. In Kalapara, Patuakhali, coastal skies have remained sunless for two days, with fog falling like a fine drizzle from dawn until midday. Vehicles have been forced to move slowly even during daylight hours, headlights switched on.

In Sirajganj, along the Jamuna River, thick fog and icy winds have paralyzed normal activity, while hospitals are seeing a surge in patients suffering from cold-related illnesses.

In Chuadanga, the sun failed to appear throughout the day as temperatures dropped to 12.6 degrees Celsius.

Kurigram recorded a low of 11.3 degrees, with officials warning that a cold wave could sweep over the district within hours. In Barishal, authorities suspended launch services on the Dhaka–Barishal route and other river routes until further notice.

Meteorologists say the cold is being felt almost nationwide. Except for Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Sylhet and Moulvibazar, night temperatures in nearly every district have fallen below 14 degrees Celsius.

Northern districts — including Panchagarh, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Kurigram and Lalmonirhat — are facing particularly harsh conditions, with dense fog and chilling winds battering communities.

In Bogura, farmers fear crop damage from prolonged cold and low sunlight.
In Bogura, Anwarul Haque, a farmer, told this correspondent that the severe cold wave has inflicted serious damage on his potato fields, threatening his livelihood.

“The crops have already suffered badly,” he said, his voice heavy with worry. “If the weather does not improve soon, I will be completely ruined this year.”

For Bangladesh’s poorest residents, winter is a season of acute suffering. Many lack adequate warm clothing, leaving those living on sidewalks, at railway stations and in informal settlements dangerously exposed.

Path children are among the most vulnerable, and deaths from cold, though rarely recorded in official statistics, are not uncommon.

Beyond immediate human hardship, experts warn of longer-term environmental consequences.

Severe winter conditions often drive poorer households to increased use of firewood and other fuels, accelerating deforestation and threatening wildlife habitats. Environmentalists argue that emergency relief alone is not enough.

They call for long-term, climate-resilient policies — including forest conservation, reduced carbon emissions, protection of wetlands and investment in sustainable agriculture — alongside expanded ecological research to better understand and adapt to changing winter patterns.

As temperatures continue to fall and fog blankets the country, the coming days will test both Bangladesh’s infrastructure and its social safety nets — and underscore, once again, how deeply climate and inequality are intertwined.