The High Court has delivered a landmark judgment banning the unethical practice of determining and revealing the sex of an unborn child. The ruling states that from now on, it will not be allowed to disclose whether a fetus is male or female.
On Monday (May 11), the full verdict was released by the High Court bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Qazi Zeenat Haque. A short order in this case had earlier been issued on February 25, 2024.
In its judgment, the court observed that prenatal sex determination and disclosure promote discrimination against women, contribute to female infanticide, disturb social balance, and violate constitutional rights.
The court further stated that such practices undermine women’s dignity, equality, and right to life, and also breach international human rights commitments.
It also noted that Bangladesh has long lacked proper monitoring, enforcement, and accountability in this area. The court emphasized that simply issuing guidelines is not enough; without strong laws, digital monitoring, and effective enforcement systems, unethical practices like fetal sex determination and disclosure cannot be stopped.
