Baby girl born on a moving boat on the Brahmaputra in Gaibandha, mother and newborn well

A woman from a remote char area has given birth to a baby girl aboard a moving boat on the Brahmaputra River in Fulchhari upazila of Gaibandha. The baby was born on the deck of the boat at around 4:45pm on Saturday (31 October), midway between Kalurpara Ghat and Fulchhari Ghat in Fulchhari Union. Both mother and newborn are currently well.

The mother's name is Aklima Akhtar, a resident of Kalurpara village. Relatives said that when her labour pains began at home, the family set out to take her to a hospital in Gaibandha town.

Reaching the hospital, however, was not easy. To cross the long sandy char path, relatives built a makeshift stretcher from a wooden stool and bamboo, and carried Aklima on their shoulders to Kalurpara Ghat. Even after reaching the ghat, the family found no boat there and fell into serious trouble.

At that very moment, a team from the local non-government development organisation 'Gana Unnayan Kendra' came forward to help. The organisation's project manager Rokanuddoula said their team was returning to Gaibandha town by boat after finishing project survey work. Seeing the family's request and the patient's critical condition, they quickly took the family aboard their own boat.

Soon after boarding, Aklima's labour pains intensified. The women workers on the boat and her relatives then made a screen around her with their own clothes to create a safe environment for the delivery.

Forty minutes after setting off for Fulchhari Ghat, the baby girl was born mid-river on the boat's deck. Aklima became a mother on the way, after starting the journey from the remote char towards the hospital.

Rokanuddoula said that, seeing the mother and baby safe, they took the family from Fulchhari Ghat back to their home in the char.