‘Ban gender detection of unborn babies’

A Supreme Court lawyer yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its directive on the authorities concerned to prohibit the gender detection of unborn babies, in order to ensure protection of the babies and pregnant mothers.

Advocate Ishrat Hasan submitted the petition to the section concerned of the HC, requesting it to order the authorities to stop selling, transferring or handling any machine used for gender detection of unborn babies and to submit lists of hospitals, diagnostic centers and other entities having registration to do so before the court.

In the petition, she also prayed to the HC to issue a rule asking respondents to explain why their failure to frame directions or guidelines to prevent gender detection of unborn babies should not be declared illegal, and why they should not be ordered to frame directives or guidelines to this effect.

In the prayed rule, the lawyer also sought explanation from respondents why they should not be ordered to maintain a database of diagnosis report of unborn babies conducted by registered hospitals, diagnosis centres and other entities.

Secretaries to the ministries of health, women and children affairs and social welfare affairs, directorate generals of health services, family planning, department of women affairs and national institute of population research and training have been made respondents to the required rule.

Citing the writ petition, Ishrat told The Daly Star that most people desire baby boys.

If unborn babies are not in accordance with the desire of parents in the detection test, pregnant mothers become frustrated and have a mental and physical impact, which affect flourishment of babies.

Thus, gender detection of the unborn babies is a violation of gender equality, right to life and right to protection of law guaranteed by the constitution, Ishrat said in the petition.

She said the HC may hold hearing on her petition any day this week.

Source: The Daily Star