KURIGRAM: A cold spell sweeping northern part of Bangladesh especially in Kurigram left a minor dead due to pneumonia on Tuesday while dense fog disrupted the regular scenario in the region near the Himalayan foothills.

The ill-fated 18-month old girl was identified as Mitu, resided in Sadar upazila of the district.

Kurigram Sadar Hospital residential medical officer (RMO) Nazrul Islam confirmed the matter to banglanews.

The temperatures fell below normal in recent days as chilly wind swept the region.

Most of the victims were elderly people and children from poor families, locals said.

Sources said that hospitals are packed with patients suffering respiratory illness.

Local Health Division sources said that some 200 patients are undergoing treatment in Kurigram Sadar Hospital which has a capacity of 100 beds.

On the other hand, some 300 patients pop into the emergency of the hospital everyday with their cold related diseases.

Most of the patients were admitted suffering diarrhea, pneumonia, fever, cough, asthma and other cold-related diseases.

Locals also said that they can not go to their workplaces for such extreme cold weather. Moreover, poor people, who live in mud-and-thatch huts, are facing immense sufferings as they could not afford warm clothing or heating.

Bangladesh, which is a tropical country, normally sees temperatures fall to around 10 degrees Celsius in winter but this time of the year it experienced far below the normal situation.

BDST: 1822 HRS, JAN 20, 2015