‘Headaches, organ damage and even death’: how salty water is putting Bangladesh’s pregnant women at risk

In Dacope village, Bangladesh, about 6,000 people use this pond to collect water for cooking. The rural population relies heavily on rivers, ponds, and groundwater. Photograph: Farzana Hossen/The Guardian

In the small, crowded ward of the Upazila Health Complex in Dacope, new and expecting mothers lie exhausted beneath fans that spin noisily above their heads. There are no dividers in the maternity room shared by more than 20 women, so visiting husbands are ushered out by nurses when someone needs attending to.

• Sapriya Rai, 23, has pre-eclampsia and is being monitored at the Upazila Health Complex