At least two people have died from what the authorities believe is heatstroke amid extreme heat across Bangladesh.

The deaths were reported in Pabna and Gazipur districts with the mercury hovering around 40 degrees Celsius at peak in most places on Saturday.

In Pabna city, Sukumar Das, a 60-year-old man collapsed and died in the Zakirer Mor area of Shalgaria.

Resident Medical Officer at Pabna General Hospital Jahidul Islam said: “People brought a man from Shalgaria to the hospital already dead."

“We suspect that he died of heatstroke due to the intense heat. Later, his family took his body away.”

The entire district of Pabna is baking in an intense heatwave. The searing heat is making life difficult for the residents, with an increase in heat-related illnesses among the elderly and children in hospitals.

Nazmul Haque Ranjan, the assistant observer at the Ishwardi Weather Office, said: “Pabna has been recording temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or more for several days. On Saturday, it reached 41.6 degrees Celsius.

“This is the highest temperature recorded so far. A severe heatwave is blowing over Ishwardi Upazila and nearby areas, and the temperature is expected to rise further.”

A day before, the maximum temperature was 41 degrees Celsius on Friday, which was the highest in the Ishwardi sub-district this year, according to the weatherman.

Workers are suffering the most in the severe heat. People engaged in manual labour are having to work under the scorching sun due to the demands of livelihood. Most people are using umbrellas when going out.

Shahjahan Saju, a resident of Pabna city, said: “The extreme heat over the past few days, especially during the afternoon, has made it difficult to go out on the streets. Yet, we have to go out because of work. We have never seen such heat before.”

He added that one person died from a heatstroke. “During the afternoon at a tea shop on Rupkatha Road, a person fell ill. People around rescued him and took him to Pabna General Hospital, where the doctor declared him dead.”

Jahidul Islam, the Resident Medical Officer at Pabna General Hospital, advised avoiding heat and staying indoors unless necessary to prevent heatstroke.

He said, “People need to consume more liquids. It’s better for patients with diabetes and blood pressure issues to avoid going out in the sun. Caution must be exercised while on the streets.”

GAZIPUR

Police recovered the body of a man described as mentally imbalanced from a field in Gazipur’s Konabari.

Konabari Police Station chief KM Ashraf Uddin said the man, Sohel Rana, 42, was found dead at Jomidar Math on Jailkhana Road in the afternoon.

Sohel stayed with his brother in Enayetpur, but had been roaming around Konabari for a few days.

Police sent him to Enayetpur by a rickshaw after finding him completely naked in the Kashimpur prison area on Saturday morning, Ashraf said.

“That man returned and started wandering in the prison area again. Locals called police after seeing his body in the field,” he said.

“We believe he died from heatstroke because of excessive heat. But the cause of his death will be confirmed in autopsy,” the officer said.