'Triumph of humanity': Sunali, dumped in Bangladesh when pregnant, brought back to India after 6 months, gives birth to son

KOLKATA/RAMPURHAT: Sunali Khatun, the Birbhum woman now in the middle of a Supreme Court battle after being dumped in Bangladesh for being "an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant", gave birth to a son on Monday at Rampurhat Medical College.

The 26-year-old and her minor son were brought back to India on Dec 6 by Centre on "humanitarian grounds in view of her advanced pregnancy" on the apex court's direction, but her husband Danish Sk and three others still remain stuck in the neighbouring country. All six had been rounded up in Delhi, where they earned their living as ragpickers, and deported to Bangladesh in June. Subsequently, they were arrested in Bangladesh for being illegal foreigners and sent to jail.


Sunali went into labour at her Paikar home on Sunday night and was immediately shifted to hospital, where doctors performed a C-section in the morning. "For us, this is nothing short of a miracle. The child was born healthy despite Sunali being in jail for over 100 days in her advanced pregnancy," brother Suraj told TOI.

Gynaecologists at the hospital decided on a C-section delivery given her high blood pressure. "Sunali had a full-term healthy baby. She will be kept under 24X7 monitoring for the next five-six days," said Rampurhat chief health officer Subhan De.

Sunali is keen that CM Mamata Banerjee names her son, her mother Jyotsna Bibi said. For now, they are lovingly calling the newborn Babu. CM Banerjee, who was at Kapil Muni temple in Gangasagar on Monday, congratulated Sunali and asked officials to convey her wishes to the new mother along with sweets.

Sunali, however, is extremely upset that her husband is still stuck in Bangladesh and unable to see their son.

"My daughter suffered throughout her pregnancy. We could not take care of her. Our only relief was that we could at least ensure her safe return. We are grateful that she gave birth safely. But it continues to hurt that her husband Danish is not here. The father could not take his boy in his arms," Jyotsna said.

The Supreme Court is likely to hear Danish's appeal, along with that of Sweety Bibi and her two children, on Tuesday, Bengal Migrant Workers Welfare Board chairman Samirul Islam said, adding, "We will extend all help to them."

Sunali's father, Bhodu Sk, is yet to see his daughter and grandson. "He is almost bedridden. We will see if he can be brought to the hospital on Tuesday," Jyotsna said, adding, "For my husband, this is a small victory after months of legal battle."

Both Jyotsna and Suraj said they are keenly awaiting the visit of Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who is scheduled to meet Sunali and her newborn in hospital on Tuesday. "We will seek his help for the return of Danish and the others. We will also ask for help to repair our damaged hut," Suraj said.

Abhishek, in a social media post on Monday, saluted Sunali's "extraordinary courage and resolve". "This moment of joy feels even more profound against the backdrop of the injustice she was subjected to. Her ordeal was a violation of dignity that no citizen, least of all a pregnant mother, should ever be forced to endure. Yet, through it all, Sunali displayed extraordinary courage and resolve…This is a triumph of humanity," he wrote on X.

(With inputs by Sumati Yengkhom in Kolkata)

Please help me return, see my son: Danish: I appeal to everyone, please help me go back, help me see my baby," Danish Sk told TOI over phone from Bangladesh. "I appeal to the CM to help us. We didn't commit any crime. I am yet to speak to my wife. I miss my family," he said.