The High Court on Sunday issued a rule upon the government to explain in four weeks as to why they should not be directed to take necessary steps to set up breastfeeding and baby care corners at all work places, shopping malls, airports, bus stops and railway stations across the country.
The HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman
passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by a Supreme Court lawyer Ishrat Hasan and her nine-month-old child Umair Bin Sadi.
In the rule, the court also asked the authorities concern of the government to explain as to why the Women and Children Affairs Ministry would not be ordered to formulate a guideline to establish breastfeeding and baby care corners at public places.
Cabinet secretary, women and children affairs secretary, health secretary, public works secretary, civil aviation and tourism secretary and other respondents have to comply with the rule.
Barrister Md Abdul Halim appeared in the court on behalf of the writ petitioners while Deputy Attorney General Saifuddin Khaled stood for the state.
The writ petition was filed with the High Court on October 24 saying that the mothers feel uneasy to feed their children at the work places, shopping malls, airports, bus stoppages and rail stations as there is no specific breastfeeding and baby care corners.
It was said in the petition that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2009 had directed the authorities concern to establish breastfeeding and day care corners at all public and private work places in order to ensure safe motherhood and to grow up the children in a beautiful and healthy environment.
But the directives of the Premier yet to be fully implemented, the petition reads.
Writ petitioner Ishrat Hasan said, she recently went to Cox’s Bazar with her baby. She had to wait for five hours in the Cox’s Bazar airport for a flight of US Bangla Airlines for returning to Dhaka. On that time she did not find any breastfeeding corners in the airport, which pushed her in an embarrassing situation.
The lawyer also said, “There had smoking zone in the airport but no breastfeeding corner or baby care corner. This situation is prevailing all over the country. Many news reports have been published on this matter. But the government is not taking any initiative to set up breastfeeding corners in the public places or work places. That is why we have filed the writ petition. After hearing the court issued a rule.”
