CHHITMAHAL

Bangladeshi enclave women gave birth to a child at an Indian hospital

Asma Bibi (25), a resident of a Bangladeshi enclave named Madhya Masaldanga, gave birth to a male child at Dinhata sub-divisional hospital in Cooch Behar district on Monday evening. Such things happened many times earlier as Dinhata is a bordering sub-division. But, this time it became a news item because the women registered her original name and address in the hospital register. Her husband, Shajahan Sheikh brought her to the hospital on Monday when she was suffering from labour pain.

Shajahan Sheikh admitted that he shifted her wife when he found no alternative to help her. At first he contacted the leaders of the India-Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Co-ordination Committee and following their advice he took her to Dinhata hospital and admitted her at about 6 p.m. There she gave birth to a male child. They named the child as Jihad Hussein Obama, Sheikh said.

On behalf of India-Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Co-ordination Committee, Diptiman Sengupta said the authorities should issue a birth certificate to the newborn. Otherwise, they would initiate a movement over the issue. He however thanked the hospital authority for admitting the woman and extending necessary medical help to her.

Superintendent of Dinhata sub-divisional hospital Dr Nikhil Das said they admitted the woman on humanitarian grounds. They will be discharged soon as the mother and the child both are in doing well, he said.

Today, when asked about the controversy over admission of a Bangladeshi enclave resident to the government hospital the sub-divisional officer of Dinhata, Chiranjib Ghosh said that he was informed of the incident from the hospital authority. They had to do it on humanitarian grounds. Would it not been treated as an act of inhumanity if we refused her admission, he questioned. He however denied making any comment over possibility of the arrest of the couple for trespassing in India and issuing of official birth certificate to the newborn. The administration is yet to receive any complaint against the couple, he added.

Mentionworthy, there were 126 Indian enclaves (Chhitmahals) in Bangladesh and 96 Bangladeshi enclaves in India.