On a hospital bed at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Shahnaz Begum Shelly cradles her newborn daughter-relieved, but still processing the uncertainty she faced just days ago.
Moments after the child was born, her husband left.
Alone, recovering from surgery, and with a newborn in need of care, Shahnaz found herself navigating one of the most vulnerable moments of her life without support. The reason, she says, was simple-and painful: the baby was a girl.
"He had said earlier that he would not accept the child if it was a daughter," Shahinaz recalls quietly. "After the birth, he didn't come back."
Shahnaz had been admitted to CMCH on April 16 after going into labour. Doctors initially attempted a normal delivery, but complications led to a caesarean section. The baby girl was born safely, but her mother's condition required close monitoring.
Days later, another complication emerged.
On April 20, the newborn was diagnosed with jaundice and transferred to the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where she was placed under phototherapy. According to doctors, the baby has since responded well to treatment and is now stable.
It was around this time that the story reached the district administration.
Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Mian contacted hospital authorities after learning about the situation, requesting that the newborn receive proper care. On Tuesday (April 21), he visited the hospital in person.
What followed was not just an official visit, but a gesture that hospital staff described as deeply humane.
The DC spent time with the mother and child, spoke with doctors, and handed over financial assistance. He also brought essential supplies-baby clothes, diapers, bedding, and food-along with clothing and a month's worth of provisions for Shahnaz.
"The baby is now stable and doing well. She will be handed over to her mother very soon," he said during the visit. "We have taken steps to ensure necessary support for both of them."
Calling the incident "deeply unfortunate," he stressed the need for greater social awareness, particularly around attitudes toward girl children.
For Shahnaz, the support came at a critical moment.
"I admitted myself to the hospital and managed everything on my own," she said. "Without the help from DC sir, I don't know how I would have coped."
Her neighbour, Aklima Akter, who had been following her condition, said the atmosphere in the ward shifted after the intervention of DC sir.
"After the DC sir spoke to the doctors, everyone became more attentive," she said. "He even assigned someone to regularly check on them."
Doctors at the hospital say the case reflects both a medical and social reality they encounter from time to time.
"Every patient is important to us," said Dr Mohammad Shaheen, associate professor and head of the NICU at CMCH. "But in this case, the DC personally followed up and requested proper care. We ensured the best possible treatment."
He added that the visit-and the support that came with it-left a positive impression on both staff and patients.
As Shahnaz prepares to leave the hospital with her daughter, the uncertainty that once surrounded them has begun to ease.
The newborn remains under observation and will be discharged once doctors give clearance.
For now, mother and child are together-recovering, and no longer alone.
