DNA Test Confirms Paternity After Twenty-Seven Years

A twenty-seven-year-old man from the Rangunia upazila of Chattogram has officially received paternal recognition from his father following a successful mediation process and definitive DNA profiling. The resolution was formally concluded on Tuesday at the Chittagong office of the National Legal Aid Services Organisation.

Background of the Paternal Dispute

The dispute originated nearly three decades ago when an expatriate worker from Rangunia married a woman from his neighbourhood. Following an interpersonal conflict that escalated prior to the birth of their child, the husband divorced his wife and left Bangladesh for overseas employment. The pregnant mother returned to her paternal home, where her son was subsequently born and raised by his maternal family.

The father later returned to Bangladesh and contracted a second marriage, establishing a new family. Upon reaching adulthood, the son sought out his father to claim paternal recognition, but his initial requests were rejected.

Seeking a formal resolution, the son filed an official application with the Chittagong Legal Aid office in June 2024 to demand legal recognition of his paternity.

Mediation, DNA Testing, and Formal Settlement

During the initial legal aid proceedings, the father refused to acknowledge the young man as his biological offspring. To resolve the impasse, a court-ordered DNA profile was conducted involving the mother, the father, and the son.

The resulting laboratory report, forwarded directly by hospital authorities to the Legal Aid office, conclusively verified the biological relationship. Confronted with the genetic evidence, the father agreed to a formal settlement during a session overseen by judicial officers.

As part of the legally binding agreement signed on Tuesday, the father executed several written commitments:

• He formally acknowledged the twenty-seven-year-old man as his legitimate son.

• He guaranteed the son’s legal inheritance rights to his estate.

• He committed to providing a cash sum of 200,000 BDT to assist the son in constructing a house.

• He pledged to formally introduce the son to his relatives and neighbours.

Official Statements and Outcomes

Subrata Das, a Senior Assistant Judge and Legal Aid Officer at the Chittagong office, confirmed the resolution of the long-standing dispute to the media. To mark the successful mediation, the Legal Aid office presented both men with commemorative T-shirts.

Chittagong District Legal Aid Officer Ershadul Islam noted that the final reconciliation created a profound atmosphere within the office as the father embraced his son for the first time.

Expressing his relief, the son stated to reporters that the lack of paternal identity had previously subjected him to social stigma and critical remarks from community members. He added that the official recognition would finally bring an end to the social challenges he had faced since childhood.

Case Profile and Settlement Metrics

The essential parameters and settlement details of the paternity dispute are structured in the table below: