Bangladesh - April 24, 2024

Eight people have died in Bangladesh in one of the country's worst heatwaves on record as temperatures have hit a scorching 40 to 42 degrees Celsius.

Those who work outdoors have borne the brunt of the sweltering conditions.

"We have a lot of problems in summer. Our bodies sweat a lot. We're thirsty and have to work overtime, so we get very tired in summer. The body becomes unbearably tired, so sometimes I eat Sarabat on the side of the road. We have no choice but to come out in this intense heat. I went out in a rickshaw because we need to earn," said Mohammad Farooq, a rickshaw rider.

Van driver Abdur Rahim also struggles with dizziness, pains and a lack of energy.

"I've had dizziness due to intense heat, constant pains in the hands and feet, chills, profuse sweating, and a lack of energy. In this heat, you need to eat good things. If you don't eat, you don't have energy, and you can't drive a van. We need to eat fruit and saltines, but we can't earn a good income by driving a van so we can't eat good food. People don't come out of the house in summer," he said.

Temperatures are four to five degrees Celsius above the long-term average. All schools and colleges have been told to remain closed over the past week.

Authorities have ordered hospitals to prepare for the extreme weather.

""We have been instructed by the Ministry of Health to prepare the hospitals of the capital Dhaka. Doctors know how to care for patients in heat waves suffering from heat stroke, and doctors are trained. Hospitals are ready to serve patients," said Ayesha Shilpi, deputy director of the country's Directorate of Health.

SHOTLIST:

Bangladesh - April 24, 2024
1. Various of sunlight, pedestrians, street vendors holding umbrellas;
2. SOUNDBITE (Bengali, dubbed in English) Mohammad Farooq, rickshaw rider (ending with shot 3):
"We have a lot of problems in summer. Our bodies sweat a lot. We're thirsty and have to work overtime, so we get very tired in summer. The body becomes unbearably tired, so sometimes I eat Sarabat on the side of the road. We have no choice but to come out in this intense heat. I went out in a rickshaw because we need to earn.";
3. Various of rickshaws, traffic;
4. SOUNDBITE (Bengali, dubbed in English) Abdur Rahim, van driver (ending with shots 5-6):
"I've had dizziness due to intense heat, constant pains in the hands and feet, chills, profuse sweating, and a lack of energy. In this heat, you need to eat good things. If you don't eat, you don't have energy, and you can't drive a van. We need to eat fruit and saltines, but we can't earn a good income by driving a van so we can't eat good food. People don't come out of the house in summer.";
5. Various of street vendor, rickshaw drivers;
6. Various of patients in hospital; medical workers;
7. SOUNDBITE (Bengali, dubbed in English) Ayesha Shilpi, deputy director, the Directorate of Health of Bangladesh (ending with shot 8):
"We have been instructed by the Ministry of Health to prepare the hospitals of the capital Dhaka. Doctors know how to care for patients in heat waves suffering from heat stroke, and doctors are trained. Hospitals are ready to serve patients.";
8. Various of medical workers, patients in hospital.

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