People swarm stores to purchase warm clothing

The country has been besieged by a bitter cold for the past few days, which has boosted sales of blankets and warm clothing.

Since the last week, winter has set in coupled with fog across the country, affecting daily life, and ferry service and traffic communications.

A large number of people have gathered at different shopping malls, shops, and makeshift shops for buying warm clothes.

Seasonal traders and shoppers stockpiled warm clothes, and blankets, including second-hand ones, at different shopping malls, shops and footpaths in the capital a month earlier.

This season people did not witness cold waves in December as winter has begun lately which also affects the sale of winter clothes, said Sahidul Islam, a winter clothes seller at Mirpur 10. Many people have also gathered at tailoring shops for making suits, blazers and other warm clothes for themselves and their family members.

Omar Faruk, a meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), told the Daily Sun that day’s temperature has declined and people are witnessing chilly bites for this reason.

He said the current temperature may prevail for 4-5 days while the night temperature may start to decline after 10 days.

The lowest temperature in the country was recorded 8.5 degrees Celsius at Sreemangal upazila of Moulvibazar district on Tuesday while it was 9.0 degrees Celsius at Tetulia on Monday.

In Dhaka, the mercury dipped to 14.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday while it was 14.7 degrees Celsius on Monday.

Visiting different permanent and makeshift shops on Tuesday, this correspondent found people of different income groups crowding to buy warm clothes to stave off the biting cold.

The low-income group of people mostly rushed to the footpath and roadside shops in Gulistan, Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, Paltan, Motijheel, Farmgate, Sadarghat, Mohammadpur, Mirpur-2, Mirpur-11 and Mirpur-10 areas to buy warm clothes.

Rifat Ali, a warm clothes seller in Farmgate area, said the sales of warm clothes like jacket, sweaters, blazer, sweat caps, mufflers and some other products have increased amid the biting cold.

He said sales of winter clothes gain momentum in December each year but this season winter set in lately and their sales also started late.

People living in open and public spaces like bus and railway stations, day labourers and slum dwellers are most vulnerable to cold snaps as they cannot afford warm clothes.

The cold spell has triggered cold-related diseases, including pneumonia, asthma and respiratory complications, in the northern districts.

Source: Daily Sun