Newborn survives after being 'thrown' from six-storey building

A newborn baby has miraculously survived after being 'thrown' from a six-storey building in Dhaka’s Bailey road.

Police have arrested a house-help who claims to be the mother of the child. They claim she is also the one who threw the baby down.

The child has been admitted to a private hospital. Doctors say the baby boy is out of danger.

The blood-smeared child was found in critical condition on the rooftop of a one-storey building next to the six-storey building on Monday afternoon, said Ramna police SI Aminul Islam.

Abdur Rahman, who works in a shop located in the one-storey building, told bdnews24.com that they heard the sound of something heavy falling on the roof.

"On rushing to the terrace, I saw a baby lying and crying in a pool of blood. I immediately informed the shop-owner and phoned the police."

The locals took the child to Ad-Din Hospital at Moghbazar.

Police later searched the six-storey building and arrested the 17-year-old house-help identified as ‘Beauty’ from a top floor apartment.

SI Islam told bdnews24.com that she gave birth to the “male child and threw him from the balcony shortly after”.

Police arrested the domestic help and took her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

On conducting a search in the house, police found it was occupied only by two domestic helps and the ailing owner of the house.

At the hospital, the arrested woman told newsmen that ten months ago she went to her sister's house in Comilla.

She was raped by her brother-in-law and the child was born on Monday.

A nurse in the hospital told newsmen that the child was out of danger but the left leg seemed to be broken.

Firoza Haque, 65, a housewife and a resident of the top floor, told bdnews24.com that the domestic help had been working with her for the last ten years.

When the girl started dating, she was sent to her village.

Her guardians requested Firoza to take back the girl, and she was brought back last Ramadan.

"On returning from the market in the afternoon today, I saw her eating boiled eggs. The next thing I knew was that the police came and took her," said the shocked housewife.

The director of Ad-din Hospital said the left leg of the baby was fractured but the child was out of danger.

The assistant manager of the hospital said even the umbilical cord of the baby had not been cut; apparently the mother had conducted her own delivery.

On learning about the incident, a childless woman has offered to adopt the baby.

Fateha Akhter Zebin is the wife of M Atikul Haque, editor of the monthly 'Al Forkan' and an ex-director of Bangladesh bank.

Zebin told bdnews24.com at the hospital, "I’ve been married for the last four years but I have no children. On hearing about this discarded child, I sought my husband’s consent to adopt it."

The hospital authorities advised Zebin to talk to the police about a possible adoption.

Zebin has offered to bear all the expenses for the treatment of the child, and also to meet all requirements needed to adopt the child.