Doctors treating 28-year-old Sunali Khatun in Bangladesh have called for an immediate blood transfusion due to her critically low haemoglobin levels. The recommendation came on Thursday, adding to the concerns of her family who are desperately trying to bring the advanced-stage pregnant woman back to her home in West Bengal's Birbhum district.
Critical Health Condition and Medical Recommendations
Sunali Khatun underwent a series of diagnostic tests on Thursday. The medical team, monitoring her high-risk pregnancy, identified the urgent need for a blood transfusion to address her dangerously low haemoglobin count. The transfusion is scheduled to be administered within the next couple of days.
Mamataj Mahal, the Bangladeshi woman caring for Sunali at a rented house in Chapai Nawabganj, provided details on her fragile state. "She is very sick and has been given new medicines," Mahal stated. She revealed that Sunali has been in trauma for a significant part of her pregnancy, leading to extreme exhaustion and prolonged periods of sleep. A doctor's visit on Thursday, which lasted an hour, reportedly left Sunali physically drained.
In addition to the transfusion, doctors suspect a urinary tract infection and have prescribed corresponding medication. They also plan to administer saline to Sunali on Friday. A positive note amidst the crisis is the health of her unborn child. An ultrasonography report confirms the baby is in good health and weighs over 2 kilograms.
Legal and Diplomatic Hurdles in Repatriation
The family's primary fear is that Sunali's deteriorating health could complicate efforts to repatriate her to India. Mofijul Sheikh, a social worker from Birbhum who was assisting Sunali and five others with legal formalities in Bangladesh, had to return to Malda in West Bengal on Thursday as his visa expired. He plans to return to Bangladesh after a week once he secures a new visa.
The call for urgent intervention has reached political corridors. Trinamool Congress MP Samirul Islam, who chairs the West Bengal Migrant Workers' Welfare Board, emphasized that the Central Government must act proactively. This follows a Supreme Court direction on Wednesday regarding Sunali's return. Islam urged the Centre to immediately alert the Indian High Commission in Dhaka to facilitate the necessary assistance for Sunali and her son.
Political Reactions and the Language Debate
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed the issue directly at a rally in Berhampore on Thursday. She connected Sunali's ordeal to a broader linguistic and political controversy. "Sunali Khatun, a pregnant woman, was sent to Bangladesh because she speaks Bangla," Banerjee asserted.
Highlighting the shared linguistic heritage of Bengal and Bangladesh, the Chief Minister questioned the logic behind the action. "We went to the Supreme Court and made sure she was brought back. Is speaking Bangla the same as being Bangladeshi?" she asked, arguing that Bangla is an international language and one's mother tongue should not be grounds for deportation.
The situation remains tense as medical efforts in Bangladesh race against time to stabilize Sunali Khatun, while diplomatic and legal channels work, albeit with challenges, to secure her safe return to Indian soil.
