The government’s birth control programme has been beaten by nature. A woman in Jhenidah gave birth to four babies last November, making the newborns a local attraction.

The babies have been named Padma, Meghna, Jamuna and Sagar. A festive mode is prevailing in the house and relatives are arriving daily to see the babies. But the family is facing financial hardship to ensure food and medicines for the kids.

Mahbubur Rahman Sabuj of Gobardanga village in Kaliganj upazila of Jhenidah said he married Mira Khatun, 22, daughter of Oliar Rahman of Telkup village in the same upazila on January 18, 2017. He is a worker in a private company.

The family was happy to learn that Mira would soon become a mother. The physician they consulted said she would deliver three babies. But subsequent test revealed there were in all four.

The matter worried the family members but three daughters and a son were safely born on November 23 last year. The girls were named Padma, Meghna and Jamuna, while the boy child was named Sagar.

Mahbubur Rahman Sabuj said he earned Taka eight hundred a month by working for a company. To take care of the four children they have kept Mira and the babies at Mira’s parents’ house in Telkup. Now Mira, her mother Bina and two of the female members help Mira to take care of the babies.

Mira said her father, who is a farm labourer, was not in a position to meet up the daily milk and medicine costs of the children. The family expenses had, moreover, risen in the past few weeks as a number of relatives have been coming daily.

“Are you going to give any of your child for adoption?” she was asked.“No mother should give her child for adoption,” said Mira with a smile.She said the family would manage despite the poor income of her father.