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The Department of Health has submitted a report to the High Court stating that the gender identity of the child in the mother's womb cannot be disclosed. It has been said that everyone including hospitals, diagnostic centers and doctors should follow this policy.
Today Tuesday (January 30) there is a hearing in this matter in the High Court.
According to sources in the health department, the policy was submitted six months ago that the gender identity of the unborn child cannot be disclosed. The report was submitted by the Director of Primary Health Care of the Department of Health. Tahmina Sultana.
Advocate Ishrat Hasan sent this notice to Health Secretary, Secretary of Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and Secretary of Social Welfare. The notice asked all public and private hospitals, diagnostic and clinic authorities to issue instructions within three days to stop the disclosure of sex-identification tests for the purpose of ascertaining the gender identity of the unborn child.
Lawyer Ishrat Hasan said, in our country, most people still hope for sons. Because they think boys bear the lineage, they earn, are more powerful. Even many women think that having a son will protect their future. In this situation, if the gender identity of the child in the womb is known through the test and it is not desired by the parents, it affects the physical and mental condition of the pregnant mother. If the mother suffers from depression, the baby's brain does not form or develop properly. In various countries of the world, including China and India, there is a ban on revealing the gender identity of the unborn child. Therefore, to ensure the protection of women and children in Bangladesh, it is important to stop revealing the gender identity of children in the womb.
He said, they can do any test for the welfare of the pregnant mother and child or to know the health of the unborn child. But it is not desirable in any way to reveal the gender identity in the medical examination or report just for the purpose of knowing whether the child in the womb is a boy or a girl.
Disclosure of the gender identity of the unborn child was previously prohibited by law. However, the health department included it in their new policy from Monday.
Earlier on February 3, 2020, the High Court had issued a ruling seeking to know why revealing the gender identity of a child in the mother's womb is not illegal. On January 26 of the same year, a writ petition was filed in the High Court.
