The father held one daughter. She was dead, her entire body wrapped in cloth. The mother held the other child. She was alive, but unwell. She had not yet fully recovered from measles.

The couple was leaving the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Seeing them, I asked what had happened.

They explained that their twin daughters were Raisa and Rumaisa. Both had contracted measles. Raisa could not be saved.

The parents are Kamruzzaman and Jannati Begum. They are among the hundreds of parents who have lost children during this year’s measles outbreak. Their home is in Faridpur.

I had gone to Dhaka Medical College Hospital to work on a report concerning fistula among women. There, at around 1:30 pm on Wednesday, I encountered the family.

They were preparing to return home. An ambulance had already been called, and they were packing their belongings. During that time, I had the opportunity to speak with them briefly.