Kushtia has been experiencing an intense heatwave for a week, with temperatures reaching 38.7°C on Tuesday afternoon. Despite the season for Nor'wester, the lack of rain for nearly a month has dried up rivers, canals, and ponds, disrupting the water supply from shallow tubewells and irrigation pumps.
Daily life is severely affected as the heat damages crops, causes premature fruit drop, prevents labourers from working under the scorching sun, and makes roads and highways extremely hot.
As the sun rises in the morning, the heat intensifies rapidly. Heatwave leading to a water crisis in Kushtia's rural areas, drying up rivers, canals, reservoirs, and deep tubewells. The Padma and Gorai rivers have become sandy riverbeds. If it does not rain soon, the oppressive heat will worsen conditions. Despite multiple daily baths, locals find no relief from the heat. To find some respite from the heat, they seek comfort in glasses of sherbet, bottles of water, cucumber slices, and oral Saline throughout the day.
Kalam Sheikh, a rickshaw driver in the city, said: "My family has four members. I took a loan from a cooperative to buy a rickshaw. The expenses of my family members and the loan instalments do not understand the heat. It is hard to find passengers in this heat. Poor people have to struggle to survive."
With this adverse change in weather, the number of patients suffering from fever, diarrhoea, and pneumonia is increasing in hospitals. Children are being affected the most by the heat.
Kushtia General Hospital Resident Medical Officer (RMO) Dr Tapas Kumar Sarkar said: “The intense heat increases the risk of illnesses like fever, colds, cough, diarrhoea, and pneumonia. Therefore, extra precautions must be taken during the hot weather to avoid sickness.”
Mamunur Rashid, the in-charge of the Kumarakhali weather office, said: “On Tuesday, the temperature in Kushtia district was recorded at 38.7°C. The previous day, Monday, it was at 40°C. Kushtia has been experiencing such intense heat for almost a week now.”
According to the Kumarakhali weather observatory, the temperature in Kushtia on Monday was recorded at 40°C. On Sunday, it was at 40.8°C. The temperature in Kustia of the season was recorded on Saturday at 41.2°C, the highest for this year. Last Friday, the highest temperature recorded in the district was at 40.2°C. The previous Thursday, it was at 40°C.
Meanwhile, due to the severe heat, Muslims in Kushtia’s Kumarkhali performed the Salat-ul-Istisqa, a prayer for rain, over two days, seeking relief from the intense heatwave. This prayer occurred under the open sky on Tuesday morning around 8:45. Following the prayer, the congregation tearfully prayed for rain.
Local resident Ismail Joardar said: “There is a desperate need for water among humans and animals alike, and I came to pray in the open field, hoping for Allah's mercy to bring rain.”
Imam Maulana Mufti Rabiul Islam attributed the rainless situation and drought to human transgressions, echoing the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions who sought forgiveness through prayer during drought.
He emphasized the Sunnah practice of performing the prayer for three consecutive days, with the final session scheduled for Wednesday at the same location where the community seeks divine mercy and relief from the ongoing heatwave.