The twins, weighing five kilograms, have separate heads, four legs and four hands, but a single anus and genital with a liver and two kidneys. Yet they have 8 chambers in their heart and that is why the doctors are considering them as two babies though their internal blood circulation is not separated.

Bilkis Begum, 30, gave birth to the conjoined twins yesterday early hours. However, as the authorities did not dare to keep the conjoined twins at the hospital, they referred them to Dhaka Shishu Hospital. But while they were being taken to the hospital at 3:30am yesterday, Shishu Hospital authorities asked their guardians to take them to DMCH saying they have no vacant seat.

However, the twins reached DMCH at 5:00 am and were admitted at the department of Pediatric Surgery.

But as one of the newborns was having breathing difficulties, they were shifted to Special Baby Care Unit for close observation.

The on duty doctors said the babies are not in a condition to survive individually and if the condition of one deteriorates, it would affect the other.

Their possibility of survival is little, because, if one dies, the other would certainly die for the secretion of toxic elements from the others, said the doctors.

The twins are under supervision of Professor Abid Hossain Mollah and Assistant Professor Shah Alam Talukder of Pediatric Surgery department now.

"We are yet to think about their separation. What is most important now is their survival," said Dr Shah Alam adding that they are seeing results of different tests to know the internal condition of the babies.

If the fetuses in the womb is not divided completely then it leads to the birth of conjoined twins, experts said adding that it is rare in the world and their history of survival is almost nil.

Such type of conjoined twins was born at DMCH last July. Although they were given life support immediately, they did not survive.

Prior to this, in 2004 doctors managed to separate a pair of conjoined twins, but one of them died straight away due to the toxic element from the other twin's body who also died later.

Mother of the twins is still staying at Jobaida Medical Hospital as the twins were caesarean. Their father Joinal Abedin, 32, is a farmer. The couple already has a nine-year-old boy.