The bone-chilling cold, which has gripped almost the entire country, is likely to continue for another day on Sunday under the impact of a mild cold wave.   The situation will start improving from Monday, Meteorologist at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department Bazlur Rashid said on Saturday.   He said the mild cold wave is sweeping over the country and it is likely to linger till Sunday.

 
Saturday’s lowest temperature 10.01 degrees Celsius was recorded in Faridpur while Dhaka witnessed this season’s lowest temperature at 12.2 degrees Celsius.
 
On Thursday, 7.9 degrees Celsius was recorded in Chuadanga, the lowest in the country this season.
 
About the high severity of the cold, Bazlur Rashid said it is due to low difference between the highest and lowest temperature. “The intensity of the cold is high now as the maximum temperature has dropped by 6-7 degrees Celsius over the country and the difference between day and night temperatures is too little,” he told UNB.

 
In a regular bulletin, the Met office said moderate to thick fog is likely to occur at places over the country from midnight to morning. Night and day temperatures may remain nearly unchanged.
 
Meanwhile, poor visibility caused by dense fog disrupted flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka and Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram for more than five hours on Saturday.
 
Ferry services on Daulatdia-Paturia route were also disrupted for several hours.

 
Meanwhile, the shivering cold has affected the normal life in many parts of the country. Especially, elderly people and children were the worst sufferers. Many preferred staying indoors.
 
In Khulna, people were seen thronging different markets to buy warm clothes to get relief from the severe cold.
 
In Laxmipur, over 800 people, mostly children, with pneumonia and diarrhoea rushed to Sadar Hospital in the last week while 300 of them were admitted to the hospital.

 
In Nilphamari, the sweeping cold wave inflicted immense sufferings on marginalised people and day-labourers.
 
People in char areas along the Teesta River in Dimla upazila were suffering greatly for lack of warm clothes. They demanded that warm clothes be distributed among them.
 
In Lalmonirhat, with the fall in the mercury, over 50 people, including children, were admitted to five Upazila Complexes in the district with cold-related diseases.
 
Meanwhile, working-class people of over 63 chars in the district have been left without work, leading to an inhuman life.

 
Civil Surgeon Dr Quasem Ali told UNB that the number of children and elderly patients is increasing in the district due to the severe cold.
 
Deputy Commissioner Abu Jafar said the district administration distributed 28,000 blankets among the cold victims and they have asked for more blankets from the ministry concerned.
 
In Panchagarh, the administration was distributing blankets among the cold-hit people, said Deputy Commissioner Sabina Yasmin.
 

In Kurigram, the temperature was recorded at 12 degrees Celsius on Saturday with the sun remaining elusive for the last five days.
 
Deputy Commissioner Sultana Parvin told UNB that the administration has so far distributed 51,514 blankets in nine upazilas of the district.
 
In Madaripur, the temperature was recorded 14 degrees Celsius on Saturday. The presence of students at schools was low due to the shivering cold.