Heavy rains damage books at Ekushey book fair

Thousands of books at the month-long Ekushey book fair in Dhaka city were damaged due to heavy rains coupled with hailstorm, thunderstorm and temporary gusty wind on Sunday morning.

Many of the makeshift stalls were badly damaged with many books lying in puddles of water, according to owners of the stalls on the scene.

Better measures must be taken up from the next year to avert such damage, they feel.

Dhaka city experienced around 20mm of rainfall under the influence of seasonal low that lies over South Bay.

In the first week of Bengali month of Falgun, the city dwellers woke up to see the unusual rainfall in the spring.

Several areas of the capital were inundated due to the rain causing huge sufferings to the city dwellers, including school, college and officers goers, in the morning.

The rainfall occurred as the trough of westerly low lies over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh, UNB reports, citing the meteorological office.

In the latest bulletin, it forecast rain/thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind at a few places over Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal and Mymensingh divisions.

The night temperature is also predicted to fall by (1-2)°C over the country.