For the first time in Bangladesh, under government management, a test tube baby (In Vitro Fertilization or IVF) was born at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
The hospital authorities have heartily congratulated everyone involved in this significant achievement, including the child's parents.
DMCH Director Brigadier General Nazmul Haque, lauding the efforts of the infertility specialists involved, said on Thursday that this is the first instance of a test tube baby birth in a government-run institution in the country.
According to the doctors, the baby girl was born two weeks ago and is now in good health.
The DMCH director further added that more details on the matter will be formally announced later.
Gynaecologists note the significance of IVF in addressing infertility. The procedure involves externally fertilizing a woman's egg with a man's sperm to form an embryo, which is later implanted in the woman's uterus.
These artificially-formed embryos develop similarly to naturally-formed ones, resulting in childbirth after approximately nine months.
"However, this procedure is costly and often beyond the means of low-income individuals.
With this successful birth, the door to the In Vitro Fertilization process is now open for couples facing financial constraints.
Bangladesh’s first test tube baby was born in a private facility in 2001.