A cross-border kidney trafficking network between Bangladesh and India continues to flourish, despite arrests and pledges of reform. At the center of the illegal trade are brokers, forged documents, and lax oversight at private hospitals, including Venkateshwar Hospital in New Delhi and Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences in Kolkata.
Bangladesh police say they are taking action. Assistant Inspector General Enamul Haque Sagor said undercover officers have been deployed to identify traffickers and brokers. “This issue is under our watch, and we are taking action as required,” he said.
Multiple arrests have been made in Bangladesh, but the networks remain resilient. Brokers often lure poor individuals with false promises of financial gain. Recipients pay $22,000 to $26,000 per transplant, while donors receive only $2,500 to $4,000. The rest is split among brokers, document forgers, and, at times, doctors.
One broker, Mizanur Rahman, told Al Jazeera that traffickers bribe Indian doctors and hospital staff. “These doctors often take a major chunk of the money,” he said.
In India, the 1994 Transplantation of Human Organs Act allows transplants only between close relatives unless approved by a government authorisation committee. However, traffickers routinely forge documents to pose donors as relatives. These fakes are often approved by review boards.
Delhi police arrested Dr. Vijaya Rajakumari in July 2024 for allegedly performing 15 transplants on Bangladeshi patients at Venkateshwar Hospital. Police in Kolkata are investigating similar cases at Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences.
Amit Goel, deputy commissioner of police in New Delhi, said the boards frequently fail to detect fraud. “They couldn’t identify the fake documents,” he said.
India’s $7.6 billion medical tourism industry adds further complexity, with experts warning that economic incentives can overshadow enforcement. “Instead of ethical standards, the focus is on economic advantage,” said anthropologist Moniruzzaman.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry denies involvement in document fraud and says there is no cross-border coordination with India on this issue.
Stronger action is needed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must enforce ethical standards and hold hospitals accountable. Bangladesh should expand policing efforts and launch public awareness campaigns in at-risk areas.
Without joint action, the exploitation will continue — and the vulnerable will keep paying the price.