Newborn, sold for Tk40,000, rescued, returned to mother by Rangpur court

The newborn, who was sold allegedly by Holy Crescent Hospital in Rangpur for Tk40,000 without the mother's knowledge, has been reunited with the rightful mother following court intervention.

Judge Jahangir Alam of Metropolitan Magistrate Court-1 returned the newborn to its mother Laboni Akhter after a hearing yesterday, said Majnu Mia, the investigation officer of the case filed over the incident.

According to the case statements, Laboni Akhter's child, born on 13 January through a C-section at the hospital, was sold by the hospital authorities when she could not settle the bill.

On 17 January, the hospital's director Dr SM Rony initiated the sale without the mother's knowledge. The child was sold to Jerina Akhter Bithi and Rubel Hossain Ratan for Tk40,000 with the assistance of the father, Wasim Akram, according to Laboni and the local police.

After Laboni filed a complaint with the Kotwali police station, the Detective Branch in a drive rescued the newborn from the Rangpur city's Pirzabad area on 21 January and detained three people – hospital director MS Rony, Rubel Hossain Ratan and her wife Jerina Akhter Bithi.

Majnu Mia, the investigating officer in this case, told TBS that the three arrested suspects were sent to jail through the court on Monday. Efforts are underway to apprehend Laboni's husband Wasim Akram in connection with the incident.

Laboni told TBS, "The court has reunited me with my child. My husband, a drug addict, was involved in the incident. He is currently absconding."