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CHATTOGRAM: Breastfeeding corners should be established at important and crowded locations across Chattogram to ensure mothers can breastfeed their children safely and comfortably, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain has said.
He made the remarks on Saturday while inaugurating two breastfeeding corners in the Karnaphuli Bridge area and in front of Chattogram Central Jail. The facilities were established by Dakbaksho Foundation with support from Chattogram City Corporation.
The mayor said Chattogram Central Jail is a historic and important location that receives a large number of visitors every day. Many mothers wait there for extended periods with their children, but often cannot breastfeed them comfortably because suitable and private spaces are unavailable.
“Many mothers feel uncomfortable breastfeeding their children in public. As a result, even when a child is crying, mothers may not be able to breastfeed them when necessary,” he said.
Dr Shahadat, a physician, said breast milk is particularly important during the first six months of a child’s life, providing essential nutrition and supporting the development of immunity and normal growth.
He stressed that building a healthy and safe city requires more than infrastructure development and said essential, people-centred services must also be ensured. He described breastfeeding corners as part of a humane and citizen-friendly approach to urban management.
The mayor said the city corporation plans to gradually establish similar facilities at other crowded locations, including the airport, railway station, bus stations and Patenga.
Ziaul Haque Palash, founder of Dakbaksho Foundation, thanked the city corporation for supporting the initiative and providing space for the facility in front of the central jail.
He said the need for a safe and private breastfeeding space became particularly evident while the facility was being constructed. According to people involved in the construction, many mothers would bring their children to the site and request a few minutes of space to breastfeed them.
“This shows how much mothers needed a safe and private place,” Palash said, adding that the foundation was working to expand the service to other important locations in the city.
He said a breastfeeding corner established in the New Bridge area had been used by 135 mothers within about a month of its launch, demonstrating the demand for such facilities in the city.
Palash said the foundation hoped many more mothers would benefit from the new facility in front of the central jail and that the service would gradually be expanded to Patenga, Chattogram Railway Station and other important locations.
Foodi Express Limited CEO Md Shahnewaz Mannan and other officials concerned were present at the inauguration programme.