Local met office said the depression in the Bay causing rainfall of about 3 mm on an average in last three days has intensified the cold.

The situation will remain unchanged for another two days, it added.

The minimum temperature of 11:05 degree Celsius was recorded on Saturday while it was 11:06 degree Celsius on Sunday.

The sky in the region was covered with clouds while the dense fog has kept the sun invisible for last three days.

Poor people living along the basins of the Teesta, Dharla and Brahma-putra are the worst sufferers of the cold spell.

They are passing their days in untold miseries without warm clothes.

The government as well as non-government organisations have begun distribution of warm clothes among the poor, but the number of clothes is not enough to cover all the affected people.

This correspondent visited Gangachara, Kaunia and Pirgachha upazilas along the Teesta basin and talked to a number of people who are the worst victims of this shivering cold.

"My husband is an old man who can hardly earn money enough for daily meals let alone warm clothes," Ahema, 50, wife of Abdul Gofur of village Gonjia under Gangachara upzila told The Daily Star.

Abdul Jabbar, a day labourer of village Dolgarna, said many day labourers like him dared not to go for work in the field due to cold bite.

"If the weather does not improve within the next two days, members of our families will have to starve," he added.

Meanwhile, cold-related diseases have broken out at different places in the regions.

A large number of people, mainly children and elderly people, were attacked with pneumonia, bronchitis and cold diarrhoea.

Sources at different upazila health complexes disclosed that many patients who went there for treatment had to return without treatment as 90 percent medical officers went on Eid vacation.

"My four-month old son was attacked by pneumonia two days ago. I went to the local upazila health complex. All the doctors of the health complex went on leave. So I had to go to a private practitioner to save his life," said Nomita of Dhamur village under Gangachara upazila.

Altai Bela, wife of Lalit Das of the same area, said she had been suffering from diarrhoea and she had to go to a local physician for treatment. But she could not buy the medicine due to lack of money, she added.

Food and disaster management ministry sources said they have distributed 3000 pieces of blankets in every district of the region.