A birth that was meant to bring unbridled joy, an arrival that should have been celebrated with sweets distributed across the neighborhood—those innocent lives are instead finding refuge in the dust and dirt of footpaths, secluded bushes, or foul-smelling dustbins! The recurring rescue of abandoned newborns on roadsides across different parts of the country is not merely alarming; it paints a tragic picture of our moral bankruptcy as a humane society. When those tender bodies, wrapped in polythene, cry out for a little warmth in hospital beds or at the Chhotomoni Nibash (child shelter), the question inevitably arises—are our human conscience and state accountability nothing more than words on paper? Childhood Wrapped in Polythene in Search of a Speck of Light

The biggest victims of this cruel game of abandonment are adorable baby girls, children with physical disabilities, or innocent souls thrust into the world carrying the burden of unwanted pregnancies. According to the Human Rights Culture Foundation (MSF), 44 newborns—both alive and dead—were rescued from various parts of the country in just the first six months of this year. In July alone, the cries of at least eight abandoned infants managed to reach human ears.

When a near-lifeless baby girl was rescued from inside a polythene bag in Chittagong’s Banshkhali on July 25, she was perhaps searching for the soothing warmth of her mother's embrace. Just a few days prior, on July 22, the lifeless body of another newborn was discovered on the footpath of Dhaka University—the dream seat of learning. Meanwhile, little 'Ali,' rescued from under the Shampur Bridge, has now found shelter at the Azimpur Chhotomoni Nibash. Authorities at the shelter report that as of July 2026, 19 such orphaned lives have reached their doorstep alone. Maliha Helal Tira, Information Officer at MSF, noted that these new lives are being heartlessly discarded everywhere—in rural areas and cities alike. However, the severity of this cruelty appears far more horrific in urban regions such as Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Netrokona.

Why Are These Souls Discarded, Severing the Ties of Blood?

Why do birth mothers or families push their own blood toward death like this? Dissecting this grim reality, Khairuzzaman Kamal, Vice President of the Child Rights Forum, remarks, "A segment of society still views a female child as a 'burden' rather than a supreme blessing. Compounded by extreme poverty, domestic violence, social stigma, and the shame of unwanted motherhood, a child whose arrival should have called for celebration instead ends up lost in dark alleys."

Society and State in the Dock: What Must We Do?

There is no doubt that parents who abandon their babies in dustbins right after birth are criminals. But is the responsibility of a society and state that fails to offer even the minimum protection for a child to grow up safely any less?

Experts emphasize that this cruelty cannot be stopped through regret and lamentations alone: • Tech-Driven Surveillance: The rigorous use of CCTV cameras and modern technology must be increased to identify offenders. • Strict Laws and Justice: Proper enforcement of a specific legal framework is crucial to bring those who abandon children to exemplary punishment. • Safe Haven and Legal Adoption Systems: To prevent unwanted babies from being thrown onto the streets, confidential drop-off mechanisms and legally streamlined, humane adoption processes must be established.

Those tiny hands picked up from dustbins may not be able to file a complaint against society today, but their silent tears leave a deep stain of disgrace on our civilization every single day. Will the guardians of the state and society finally awaken? Or will these childhoods wrapped in polythene continue to languish and fade away on the roadside?

Author: Dr. Abul Hasnat Milton, Chief Editor, The Source News Bangla