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Bangladesh Court Prohibits Disclosure of Fetal Sex
(MENAFN) The High Court in Bangladesh has ruled that the sex of an unborn child must not be disclosed, in a decision aimed at reducing gender-selective abortions and protecting female fetuses.
The ruling was issued Monday by a judicial bench consisting of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque as part of a case originally filed in 2020. A shorter version of the order had previously been released in February 2024, while the full verdict has now been formally announced.
Legal representatives involved in the case described the decision as a major development. One lawyer supporting the petition called the judgment “historic” and stated that revealing the sex of a fetus should be considered “professional misconduct.”
The court also referenced similar legislation in neighboring India, where disclosing the sex of an unborn child is prohibited by law in an effort to curb sex-selective practices.
Health experts in Bangladesh said the ruling could help reduce cases of female fetuses being aborted due to social preferences for male children. One academic specializing in health economics described the judgment as a “significant verdict” and noted that such practices are often reported in parts of South Asia, particularly in families that already have daughters.
Preference for sons over daughters continues to remain a social issue in several rural areas across the region.
In addition to the ban, the court instructed the Directorate General of Health Services to establish a centralized digital monitoring system within six months. The database is intended to track medical diagnostic reports related to unborn children conducted in hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country.
The ruling was issued Monday by a judicial bench consisting of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque as part of a case originally filed in 2020. A shorter version of the order had previously been released in February 2024, while the full verdict has now been formally announced.
Legal representatives involved in the case described the decision as a major development. One lawyer supporting the petition called the judgment “historic” and stated that revealing the sex of a fetus should be considered “professional misconduct.”
The court also referenced similar legislation in neighboring India, where disclosing the sex of an unborn child is prohibited by law in an effort to curb sex-selective practices.
Health experts in Bangladesh said the ruling could help reduce cases of female fetuses being aborted due to social preferences for male children. One academic specializing in health economics described the judgment as a “significant verdict” and noted that such practices are often reported in parts of South Asia, particularly in families that already have daughters.
Preference for sons over daughters continues to remain a social issue in several rural areas across the region.
In addition to the ban, the court instructed the Directorate General of Health Services to establish a centralized digital monitoring system within six months. The database is intended to track medical diagnostic reports related to unborn children conducted in hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country.
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