Bangladeshi woman gives birth in Indian hospital
By IANSFriday, April 2, 2010
DHAKA - A Bangladeshi woman, living in an enclave near the international border, has given birth to a child at a hospital in Cooch Behar on the Indian side — but this has led to a piquant situation where the authorities are contemplating her arrest for getting medical facilities in India without proper documents.
Asma Bibi, 25, complained of severe labour pain Monday and this was the nearest medical facility available, Dinhata Hospital superintendent Nikhil Das said adding that the woman was admitted on humanitarian grounds.
She gave birth to a boy and both the mother and child are doing fine, the Daily Star reported Friday.
Her husband, Shajahan, said since she was in great pain and there was no hospital nearby on the Bangladesh side, he had to contact leaders of the India-Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Co-ordination Committee who facilitated her shifting to the Dinhata hospital with the help of security personnel.
There are 126 Indian enclaves (chhitmahals) on the Bangladesh side and 96 Bangladeshi enclaves on Indian territory with only day-time movement allowed.
Meanwhile, authorities are contemplating the possibility of arrest of the Bangladeshi couple for getting medical facilities in India without the necessary papers, though Dinhata sub-divisional officer Chiranjib Ghosh said the administration was yet to decide on the matter, the report said.
Normally, such an incident would attract penal law.
Thanking the hospital authorities for admitting the woman, enclave committee spokesman Diptiman Sengupta said the authorities should issue a birth certificate to the newborn.
The enclaves on both sides of the international border are the result of the division of India by the British in 1947 that has in the last six decades caused misery for the local people.
Recognising this during her visit to New Delhi in January, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh agreed to streamline the border without disturbing the local populace and ensure their faster development.
