Bangladesh court bans disclosure of unborn child’s sex

The Bangladesh High Court on Monday ruled against disclosing the sex of a fetus in the womb in a move aimed at preventing femicide.

The bench, comprising Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque, announced the full verdict in the case filed in 2020.

The court earlier issued a short order in February 2024.

Advocate Ishrat Hasan, who was among those who filed the writ petition, briefed reporters in the capital, Dhaka, after the verdict, calling it “historic.”

Revealing the sex of an unborn fetus is “professional misconduct,” he said.

The judgment referred to the practice in India, where it is illegal to disclose the sex of an unborn child.

Syed Abdul Hamid, who teaches health economics at Dhaka University, told Anadolu that the development is a “significant verdict” that could help stop the killing of female fetuses.

“Such practice (abortion of fetus) is often reported both in Bangladesh and India, particularly when there are two or more girl children born in a family,” he said.

Preferring sons over daughters remains prevalent in South Asia, particularly in rural areas.

The court also directed the Directorate General of Health Services to create a central digital database within six months to monitor diagnostic reports related to unborn children conducted in hospitals.