Bone-chilling winter in Kurigram, fear of boro seedbed being damaged.           

Saifur Rahman Shamim, Kurigram :

Due to the two-week cold spell in Kurigram, public suffering has reached its peak.  Farmers are afraid that Boro seeds will be damaged due to lack of sunlight.

 Suman Mia, officer-in-charge (current duty) of Kurigram’s Rajarhat Meteorological Observatory said, “According to the forecast, two mild and moderate cold streams are predicted this month.”

 Common people are suffering due to severe cold.  The sun is not visible from the afternoon till 10 o’clock the next morning.  No one leaves the house without need.  Low income earners cannot go to work due to lack of warm clothes.  Zainal, an auto-rickshaw driver of Char Kurigram in Kurigram municipality area, said, “The cold hands and feet are numb in Bapur.  The situation is bad.  Sit for two days.  I am taking the auto back because of my stomach.

 Malek, a worker at a hotel in Ghoshpara, said, “Mahajan Bhor I stay in Kamot Asper Koy.”  How can I stay at home and go out in this cold?  Gat is catching fever while stirring the cold water.” Meanwhile, the farmer is worried about the newly planted boro seeds in the cold morning and thick fog.  One of them is Omed Ali, a farmer of Tapurchar area of ​​Holokhana Union of Sadar Upazila.

 The farmer said, “Seeds are turning red due to lack of sunlight.  Also, due to excessive fog, the seed beds are drowning in water and the seeds are not growing as well.” Kurigram Agriculture Extension Department Deputy Director Biplab Kumar Mohant said that to keep the seed beds safe from cold mornings and thick fog, they are advising the farmers to cover the seed beds with polythene at the field level.  It is expected that there will be no damage to the seedbed.

 Alhaj Saidur Rahman, Chairman of Bhogdanga Union of Sadar Upazila, said that the low-income people are facing a lot of problems as a result of the persistent cold.  Their income has also stopped because they cannot go to work.

 “Every year, various private organizations and rich people help with warm clothes, but this year there is still no response.  There is a demand for chadar especially for children and women.