Tetulia, the northernmost upazila of Panchagarh, recorded the country's lowest temperature of 7.9 degrees Celsius today at 9:00am, with 87 percent humidity and a wind speed of 8-9 km/h.

The cold wave gripping the region has significantly affected the daily lives of residents, especially low-income workers.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said that a mild to moderate cold wave is sweeping over Panchagarh and Kurigram and may persist for the coming days.

According to BMD's morning bulletin, minimum temperature was recorded at 7.9°C in Panchagarh's Tetulia. Kurigram recorded minimum temperature at 9.6°C in Kurigram's Rajarhat, while Dhaka saw a minimum temperature of 17°C, it said.

Today's reading in Tetulia marks a sharp drop from the previous day's 11.8°C and follows a steady decline in temperature over the past week. The season's lowest temperature of 7.3°C was recorded in Tetulia on January 10, our Thakurgaon correspondent reports quoting Jitendranath Ray, assistant officer at the local weather observatory center.

Despite clear skies allowing for some sunshine, biting winds from the Himalayas have made outdoor activities extremely challenging. Farm labourers, rickshaw-pullers, and other workers report struggling to maintain their livelihoods amidst the cold.

Md Islam, a farmer in Boda upazila, expressed the difficulties of preparing boro fields in the icy wind, while rickshaw-puller Asharu noted a significant drop in daily earnings as residents prefer to stay indoors.

Khademul Islam, a night guard, said the severity of the cold started increasing on Saturday evening as cooler winds from the north made it difficult to stay outside.

Mohsena Begum, a 63-year-old resident of Salondar village in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, said, "The cooler wind from the north makes it tough to carry on daily activities."

Even multiple layers of blankets fail to keep her warm, especially after sunset when the icy wind penetrates, she added.

Asharu, a rickshaw-puller, shared a similar plight, reporting a drop in daily income as people avoid venturing out unless absolutely necessary.

"Our earnings have been severely impacted because most people are staying indoors," he said.

Jamshed Ali, a 45-year-old farmer from Yakubpur village in Thakurgaon Sadar, said, "We have to work in the potato field despite the severe cold to save the plants from fungal attacks."

The chilling weather has also increased cold-related illnesses. Thakurgaon 250-bed modern hospital is overwhelmed with around 200 children admitted to its 45-bed pediatric ward, and outdoor patient numbers are even higher, said Rakibul Alam, hospital's resident medical officer.

BMD forecasted a further drop of 1-2 degrees Celsius in night and day temperatures over the next 24 hours. It also predicted dry weather with temporary partly cloudy skies across the country, and light to moderate fog in some areas during late night to morning hours.