Sex of baby in mother's womb cannot be revealed: HC

Desk Report

Publisted at 1:04 PM, Sun Feb 25th, 2024

The High Court (HC) has ruled that the sex of a baby in the mother's womb cannot be disclosed.

A HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque passed the verdict on Sunday (25 February) settling the ruling of a writ petition, with proceedings still ongoing.

Supreme Court Lawyer Ishrat Hasan filed the writ on 26 January 2020, urging the HC to halt tests aimed at identifying the sex of unborn babies.

The preliminary hearing of the writ prompted the HC to issue a ruling, leading to the formulation of the "National Guidelines Regarding Parental Gender Selection in Bangladesh" by the Directorate General of Health Services, aimed at preventing the identification of unborn baby's sex.

According to these guidelines, no hospital, diagnostic center, laboratory, or individual is permitted to disclose the sex of an unborn child through any means, including writing, pictures, signs, or any other form.

Furthermore, the policy mandates training for doctors, nurses, technicians, and family planning workers to prevent the disclosure of an unborn child's sex.

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