The current spell of mild cold wave with thick envelop of fog that has already paralysed the normal life might continue for two more days, the met office said.

At least 10 people have died in cold wave in Thakurgaon, Nilphamari and Sherpur districts where the mercury dips to 5 degree Celsius at night, reports UNB. Scores of people suffering from viral fever, asthma, cough, diarrhoea and fever have reported to the sadar hospitals and health complexes in upazilas.

Our Dinajpur correspondent reports: In Panchagarh at least eight people including children died being infecting with cold related viral diseases during the last 24 hours, Panchagarh Sadar Hospital sources said.

Four people died due to acute cold in the district, our Gaibandha correspondent reports. No ferryboats plied from seven local terminals along the Brahmaputra baisn in Gaibandha. The district relief and rehabilitation department sent an emergency fax message demanding supply of winter clothes.

Two people died due to severe cold and many became sick due to cold related diseases in Dakop upazila, reports our Khulna correspondent.

Civil Surgeon offices of Rangpur, Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts gave treatment to about 1,000 patients of cold related diseases from different upazila health complexes in three days.

Children and elderly people were the worst sufferers of the cold related diseases, Civil Surgeon of Rangpur Tamsil Uddin said.

Several district administration authorities mainly those in the northern region have sent emergency fax message demanding supply of winter cloth. Prices of second hand warm clothes have doubled as the demand is high, correspondents report.

The poor visibility due to thick fog disrupted movement of vehicles and river vessels across the country. The vehicles were seen to ply with their fog lights on.

The day labourers, especially in the northern region, are passing days amid great anxiety as most of them could not go out for work in the fields due to the heavy fog and cold spell.

Zahedul of Tajhat under the Sadar upazila, who remained jobless for the last two days as his master did not engage him in the field due to the foul weather, told our Rangpur correspondent that his family members will have to starve if the weather condition does not improve very soon.

Akter of Mominpur under the Sadar upazila of Rangpur said he went out in the town in search of work but no one showed interested to engage him in work in such weather.

Yesterday's lowest temperature, 7.2 degree Celsius, was recorded in Jessore and Chuadanga while the highest 25 degree Celsius in Cox's Bazar. The capital experienced lowest 10.5 degree and highest 18.1-degree Celsius temperature.

The met office's long ranged forecast for January said another one or more spells of moderate to severe cold wave might hit in two weeks, especially in the northern region.

The met office also warned that the winter crops like potato and wheat will be affected in absence of rains and crop fields will require irrigation.

The country may experience moderate to thick fog over the river basin and in the northern region of the country.