Newborn sold to pay hospital bill, returned to mother in Chandpur

A newborn, who had been sold after its mother was unable to pay the bills of the hospital where it was born, has been returned to her by the Matlab Uttar upazila administration in Chandpur.

The newborn was rescued from the Shatnal area of the upazila around 11 pm last night with the help of assistant commissioner (land) and local police, reports a Chandpur correspondent quoting Upazila Nirbahi Officer Gazi Shariful Hasan.

"After learning about the matter in the evening, our AC (land), with the help of police and local people, carried out raids. Later when it was confirmed that a woman from Shatnal union had the child, we rescued him from there and handed him over to the mother," said the UNO.

While interrogating both the parties, it was learnt that the child was sold mutually, he said.

"The process of handing over the child to his real mother was completed after both parties showing respect to the law agreed to sign a bond," added the UNO.

"We, on behalf of the upazila administration, also gave Tk 5,000 in cash to the mother to meet the immediate needs of the child. Upazila Social Service Officer Anisur Rahman and others were present at the time," he said.

The 28-year-old mother, wife of day labourer, got admitted to the Pulse Aid Hospital on January 26. There she gave birth to the boy through caesarean section.

At the time of release on January 28, the mother was handed a Tk 26,000 hospital bill which she failed to pay.

She then sold her newborn to a childless couple for Tk 50,000 through a trader named Kawser and paid the hospital bill.

However, she became distressed after selling her child.

"A doctor of the hospital suggested I sell the child to pay bills. The hospital people arranged the selling," the mother claimed.

Asiful Islam, managing director of the hospital said, "The caesarean was done at this hospital. But the issue of selling the child with help of hospital staff is not right".