The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the government to form a committee within a month to formulate guidelines to prevent unnecessary caesarean or C-sections at private as well as public hospitals and clinics across the country. In response to a writ petition, the HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal also directed the government to formulate guidelines within six months. It directed the health secretary and the director general of health services to submit a compliance report before it on Dec 5.

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) filed a writ petition, seeking an HC directive over the issue. After hearing on the petition, the HC bench issued a rule asking the government to explain why its failure to prevent medically unnecessary C-sections at private as well as public hospitals and clinics should not be declared illegal.