The Supreme Court in Dhaka has issued a landmark ruling banning the disclosure of the sex of an unborn child. The decision is intended to curb the scourge of sex-selective abortions, which have for years led to the mass elimination of female fetuses in Bangladesh. Although abortion in the country is legal only to save the mother’s life, as many as 1.58 million procedures are performed there annually.
In a ruling issued on May 11, 2026, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh found that the practice of identifying and disclosing the sex of a fetus is discriminatory, harmful to women, and constitutes a violation of constitutional rights. The justices emphasized that “identifying and disclosing the sex of a fetus promotes discrimination against girls, contributes to their killing, and undermines social balance.”
According to the court, “the selective elimination of girls” is contrary to constitutional guarantees of dignity, equality, and the right to life. This practice also violates Bangladesh’s international obligations regarding human rights and the protection of women. The judges noted that for years, the country lacked effective control and monitoring mechanisms that could have stopped such practices.
The court noted that similar laws are in place in neighboring India—a country that, like Bangladesh, culturally values the birth of a son over that of a daughter. This is reflected in the traditional blessing given to women: “May you be the mother of a thousand boys.” The judges noted, however, that “issuing guidelines alone is not enough”—effective enforcement of the law and digital oversight are necessary.
The ruling was welcomed by the Catholic medical community. Edward Pallab Rozario, a physician and president of the Catholic Medical Association of Bangladesh, called the decision “historic” and emphasized that “the ban on determining and disclosing the sex of a fetus will save the lives of many children.” He also noted that a broad public awareness campaign will now be crucial to ensure that the content of the ruling reaches residents of even the most remote areas of the country.
It is worth recalling the legal and social context of this decision. The Bangladeshi government legalized abortion in 1979, but only to save the mother’s life and exclusively up to the 12th week of pregnancy. According to data from the U.S.-based Guttmacher Institute for the years 2015–2019, an average of 5.33 million pregnancies were recorded annually in Bangladesh, of which approximately 2.63 million were unwanted. This translates to roughly 1.58 million abortions per year. Many of these—especially among the poorest segments of society—are performed in substandard facilities, which significantly contributes to maternal mortality.
Source: Catholic News Agency (Katolicka Agencja Informacyjna), publication date: May 13, 2026
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