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A bone-chilling cold wave, combined with a blanket of dense fog, brought daily life to a near-standstill across the country, including the capital, Dhaka, on Monday.
A mild cold wave is sweeping over 15 regions of the country and may continue for the next 24 hours until Tuesday, according to meteorological officials.
Two to three cold waves may occur during the current month, and among these, one or two could be severe, according to the long-term forecast from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Ordinary people have fallen into extreme hardship due to the cold wave affecting various regions. Owing to the bone-chilling cold and dense fog at dawn, day labourers and low-income workers are unable to go out for work in the morning.
Children and the elderly have been severely affected by the intense winter, and the number of patients with colds, coughs, and respiratory problems has increased.
In various northern areas, people living in open spaces are trying to ward off the cold by lighting fires. At the same time, road and water transport have been disrupted due to fog, creating additional problems for commuters and goods movement.
The sudden drop in temperature has startled even those with stable lives.
Sumon, a private sector employee, shared his struggle with the biting chill, noting that he has not experienced such a shivering cold in several years.
Expressing concern for the more vulnerable members of society, he added, "I simply cannot imagine how working-class people, like day labourers, are enduring this bone-chilling cold."
The BMD, in its 24-hour bulletin on Monday, said moderate to dense fog may occur across the country from midnight to morning and may continue until noon in some areas.
Air navigation, inland river transport, and road communication may be temporarily disrupted due to the thick fog, it added.
Weather is expected to remain dry, with temporarily partly cloudy skies over the country, the BMD said. Night temperatures may fall slightly, while daytime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged.
On Sunday, the lowest temperature recorded in the country was 8.4 degrees Celsius in Ishwardi, while Dhaka recorded 13.2 degrees Celsius.
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