Bangladeshi woman who illegally entered India paying Rs 20,000 to broker, delivers baby in Karimganj

Which country does the child belong?

This is rightly the existential question echoing in the corridors of Karimganj Civil Hospital along with the cries of Chandni Sheikh’s newborn.

Chandni Sheikh is an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant who trespassed into the Indian territory with the dream of earning a handsome living. While she tried to reach back to Dhaka four months back, she was caught by the Karimganj Police in Badarpur. Since then she has been detained and kept at Karimganj District Jail. Yesterday, she gave birth to her son at Karimganj Civil Hospital. At present, she is in the maternity ward of the hospital.

She entered India after paying twenty thousand rupees to a broker and in India, she worked in Navi Mumbai for many months. Four months back, while she was on her way back to Dhaka, Bangladesh via Karimganj she was apprehended by Karimganj Police in Badarpur. She was arrested for illegally entering India and detained at Karimganj District Jail, where she stayed as a prisoner for four months. Yesterday, she gave birth to a baby boy at Karimganj Civil Hospital.

Karimganj Civil Hospital’s Superintendent, Lipi Deb said, “While this woman was on her way back to Bangladesh, she was arrested by the police at Badarpur Railway Station. She was admitted to the hospital with term pregnancy and the gynaecologist at our hospital decided to operate on her immediately”. The doctors had to perform a cesarian section for the delivery of the baby in a healthy condition.

Chandni’s husband is still in Navi Mumbai and she and her newborn son are in Karimganj. Now the big question is whether the son of an illegal immigrant will get Indian citizenship. Will the Indian government issue him the birth certificate? Does he even qualify to become an Indian citizen? It is to be seen what will be the future course of action for Chandni and her baby.