When the child was born his father was abroad. His parents were divorced even before he was born. The child grew up in his maternal uncle’s house, never being able to see his father.
Upon reaching adulthood, she learned that her father had returned from abroad, had remarried and was living in the country. The young man decided to confront his father to seek formal recognition.
However, the father refused to accept him as his son. Eventually, the son submitted an application to the Chattogram office of the National Legal Aid Services Organisation, seeking recognition of the father.
The son finally got that recognition from his father on Tuesday. Twenty-seven years after his birth, his father hugged him for the first time.
On the orders of the court, DNA test of mother, father and son was done. The results conclusively verified that the son’s claim was accurate. The hospital authorities sent the DNA report to the legal aid office.
Yesterday on Tuesday the father formally recognized the young man as his child. In addition, the father signed a written undertaking granting him inheritance rights to his property, provided 200,000 taka to build a house, and pledged to introduce his son to neighbors and relatives.
Speaking about this, Subrata Das, Legal Aid Officer (Senior Assistant Judge) at the Chittagong Legal Aid office, told Prothom Alo, “The father has recognized his child. Both of them hugged each other. On behalf of Chittagong Legal Aid, we presented T-shirts to both of them as a mark of appreciation for coming forward to resolve this long-standing dispute.”
Court sources said a migrant from Rangunia upazila of the district had married a woman from his neighbourhood. However, disputes arose between the couple before the child was born. The man divorced his wife and went abroad. Later he returned and married again.
Meanwhile, the woman’s son grew up in her maternal home. Growing up, the boy tried to find out the identity of his father. He ran to the migrant just once to call him ‘Father’. However, the matter remained unresolved. Seeing no progress, the son applied to Chattogram Legal Aid in June 2024 and sought recognition from his father.
The father attended the office but was not ready to accept the young man as his child. After this, when DNA test was done on the orders of the court, it was proved that the son’s claim was completely true. After receiving the DNA report, the father finally agreed to his son and hugged him.
Chittagong District Legal Aid Officer Irshadul Islam told Prothom Alo that the scene of the reunion between father and son created a deeply emotional atmosphere inside the legal aid office.
Grateful to receive recognition 27 years after his birth, the son told Prothom Alo, “For so many years I couldn’t talk about my father’s identity. People would say all kinds of things. Now that my father has accepted me as his child, I no longer have to endure cruel comments from anyone in society. It brings great joy.”