A pregnant woman in Bangladesh who had considered selling her unborn child because of debt and her husband's medical bills has received Tk 1 lakh from the Prime Minister's Office, along with a promise that the delivery will be paid for and that she will be helped to find work.

The woman, identified in media reports only by her first name, Akhi, is expecting her third child. Her husband has been ill for a long time and had been the family's only earner, according to reports published by Bangla Tribune and Channel i Online on Wednesday.

Her case became public after a news report described how the family's income had collapsed and how mounting costs had left her considering a sale of the child she is carrying. The report caught the attention of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who asked his additional press secretary, Atiqur Rahman Ruman, to find the family, Bangla Tribune reported.

According to that account, the family was traced and contacted within about an hour. Akhi and her relatives were then called to the Prime Minister's Office, where they were handed a cheque for Tk 1 lakh. The prime minister also promised to bear all costs connected with the birth and to arrange employment, both outlets reported.

The two reports describe a household that had been struggling on several fronts at once. Akhi's husband had been ill for a long period, leaving the family without its main source of income. Money was needed for his treatment, for everyday household costs and for repayments on loans the family had already taken. Together, those pressures left the family with what Bangla Tribune described as a heavy burden of debt.

It was in that situation, according to the reports, that Akhi began to consider selling the child she was carrying. Channel i Online reported that the assistance had raised fresh hope that the family could begin to recover from the crisis.

Neither report quoted Akhi or her husband directly, and neither included a detailed statement from the Prime Minister's Office. The reports did not say what job would be offered, when it would begin, how much the family owes in total, or whether the delivery costs would be paid directly to a hospital. It is also not clear whether the Tk 1 lakh is a one-off payment or the first part of longer-term support.

The reports also did not name the outlet that first published her story or say exactly when it appeared. ScrollBeat is using only her first name and is not publishing her address, her husband's name or other details that could identify the family.

What happens next will depend on whether the promises are carried out. The birth itself is the most immediate concern, followed by the treatment of Akhi's husband and the search for work. A job that arrives after the delivery, and that pays enough to cover both living costs and loan repayments, would matter more to the family's long-term position than a single payment.

The case has also drawn attention to the way medical costs and informal borrowing can push low-income households into a crisis that quickly becomes unmanageable. Families without savings often borrow from neighbours, relatives or local moneylenders to pay for treatment, and the debt can outlast the illness. When the main earner cannot work, the loss of income and the cost of care reinforce each other.

That broader problem is not solved by one cheque. Bangladesh has a patchy system of social protection, and help for families in sudden distress often depends on a local official, a charity or, as in this case, a decision taken at the top of government. Whether the Prime Minister's Office will monitor this family after the initial payment, or use the case to set out a wider response, has not been announced.

For now, the confirmed facts are limited. Akhi is pregnant, her family was in debt, she had considered selling the unborn child, and she received Tk 1 lakh along with promises of delivery costs and employment. The identity of the first report, the size of the debt, the nature of the job and the follow-up remain open questions.