LALMONIRHAT: The high price of warm clothes have frustrated the poor and commoners in the districts.
As the cold and foggy weather is blowing in the northern districts, traders of warm clothes taking the opportunity are doing a brisk business on the street shops.
The poor and members of low income group people are crowding the street shops to collect warm clothes but the high price is often beyond their reach. Not only the poor but many lower middle class people are also the buyers of the street shop clothes.
Most of the poor people's are buying warm clothes from roadside vendors as they can't afford to buy new blankets and new clothes. But the high price of second- hand clothes is also often beyond their purchasing capacity. The high price of warm clothes makes them frustrated.
Hayder Ali, a buyer on the street shop alleged that the price of second- hand clothes is very high. He said, "Prices of the clothes this time are much higher compared to last year's".
Golam Mostofa, a warm clothes vendor in station area said, "The price of old clothes is also high. Every year the price of second- hand clothes increases. We are buying the clothes at high price so we have nothing to do".
He also said that many well- to- do families and youths are collecting warm jackets from street. Especially women and college- going girls are collecting warm sweaters from the street shops.
Cold weather has been prevailing in the northern districts for the last few days. In day time though the sunlight is visible after sunset the temperature level starts falling. Chilling wind with foggy weather is prevailing in the river basin areas of Teesta and Dharla.
According to the Met office, the mercury level will decrease. On Friday the lowest temperature of the country was recorded 6.1 degrees Celsius in Kurigram and adjacent areas of Lalmonirhat. Today morning it was recorded at 7 degrees Celsius.
Especially the char people of the Teesta and Dharla river basin areas are the sufferer of the cold wave and street people, beggars are sleeping in the railway platform without proper warm clothes.
Samsul Alam, 55, a resident of Gobordhon char area of Mohishkhocha union said, "The old people in open char is sufferer of cold wave". He urged the well to do people to stand by the poor with warm clothes.
Bangladesh Retired Police Officers Welfare Association distributed 600 blankets among cold hit people in Mohishkhocha union under Aditmari upazila.
Abu Zafar, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Lalmonirhat said, "Already 460 blankets have been distributed in each union of five upazila and cash taka also has been allocated to distribute more blankets. The warm clothes distribution programme will continue for the cold-hit peoples".
