Authorities in Pirganj, Rangpur, temporarily shut all operations at the Nagar Maternity Center on Thursday after a pregnant woman and her unborn child died. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mahmudul Hasan announced the closure following allegations surrounding the treatment of Shraboni, 19, daughter of rickshaw driver Motiur Rahman from Prajapara. Her relatives said she was admitted on Tuesday evening after labor pains began and later died along with her unborn child.

Family members alleged that Shraboni walked to the nearby center with her mother and aunt, underwent tests, and that Tk10,500 was paid in cash for a caesarean section. They said she was taken to the operating theatre, kept waiting for about two hours, and then sent to Rangpur by ambulance. Her father said he was sent elsewhere to buy medicines and, on returning, found her being placed in an ambulance with her face covered.

The health official said repeated verbal instructions to halt the project’s services had not been implemented. The UNO said a doctor reported that Shraboni had eclampsia, seizures and high blood pressure, while the exact cause of death would be confirmed after a civil surgeon’s investigation. Relatives and local residents besieged the center Thursday, demanding punishment for those involved.