A heartbreaking incident has come to light in which a newborn baby girl and her ailing mother were abandoned at the hospital by the father, reportedly due to the birth of a daughter.
Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Jahidul Islam Miah stepped forward with a humanitarian initiative.
Chattogram Deputy Commissioner visited Chattogram Medical College Hospital to see the newborn and her helpless mother on Tuesday.
Beyond checking on their condition, he also took responsibility for ensuring the child’s proper care on behalf of the district administration.
According to hospital sources, pregnant Shahnaz Begum Sheli was admitted to the hospital on April 16 after experiencing labour pain. Doctors performed a caesarean section due to complications and she gave birth to a baby girl.
However, immediately after the delivery, the husband, Belal Ahmed, allegedly left the hospital, abandoning both mother and child.
The newborn developed jaundice and was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on April 20, where she received phototherapy treatment.
Doctors said the baby is now in stable condition.
Following the incident, Deputy Commissioner personally contacted hospital authorities to ensure proper treatment for the child. Later, he visited the hospital and stood beside both mother and newborn.
During the visit, he provided financial assistance along with baby food, clothes, diapers, bedding, and other essential supplies for the newborn, as well as clothing and one month’s food support for the mother.
Chattogram Deputy Commissioner said, “The baby is now stable. She will soon be reunited with her mother. The district administration will ensure all necessary support for both mother and child.”
He said, “Such incidents are extremely tragic. We all must raise awareness so that no one abandons their family in this way.”
The newborn’s mother, Shahnaz Begum, said her husband had earlier stated that he would not accept a girl child. “Since the birth of my daughter, he has not contacted us. I admitted myself to the hospital with great difficulty. Now, by the grace of Allah, we are both doing well,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to the Deputy Commissioner, saying, “I don’t know what would have happened without his support. He has helped us a lot.”
Doctors at Chattogram Medical College Hospital said the child is under close observation in the NICU and will be handed over to the mother once fully recovered.
The humanitarian gesture by the Deputy Commissioner has been widely appreciated by patients, attendants, doctors, and hospital staff.
