Bangladesh’s first human milk bank stalls on opposition by Islamists

Opposition by a group of Islamists has plunged the future of Bangladesh’s first human milk bank for vulnerable and motherless infants into uncertainty

They argue that such a milk bank creates the risk of marriage between people who have drunk the milk of the same woman, which they say is forbidden by the religion.

The government’s Institute of Child and Mother Health or ICMH in Dhaka's Matuail was scheduled to launch the milk bank, fitted with imported machinery, on Dec 1.

But when the plan was made public, a group of Olamas, or Islamic scholars, opposed it. They sent a legal notice claiming that the milk bank will create legal and religious complications.

The ICMH then stopped going ahead with the project. “We’ve paused the project for now,” said Project Coordinator Dr Mojibur Rahman.

A human milk bank at a hospital in the Philippines. Photo: Courtesy of UNICEF

Gazi Ataur Rahman, a joint secretary general of the Islami Andolan Bangladesh and secretary general of National Olama Mashayekh Aimma Council, thinks the ICMH should have consulted the Islamic scholars before initiating the project as it is a “sensitive” issue.

“Marriage with 14 relations is haram [forbidden in Islam]. This applies for the relations created by drinking milk. It cannot be taken so lightly,” he said.

They will stick to their opposition to the project until issues like how much care will be taken in the process to preserve and distribute the milk becomes transparent to them, according to Ataur.

Those running the project must make it clear how they will identify the donors and the babies, make the babies aware of the identities of the donors and others who receive milk from the same donor, he said.

Milk preserved at a human milk bank in the Philippines. Photo: Courtesy of UNICEF

Supreme Court lawyer Mahmudul Hasan sent a legal notice to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Islamic Foundation, ICMH, Special Care Newborn Unit (SCANU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on Dec 24 challenging the milk bank and demanding setting proper conditions before launching it.

Citing Islamic rules, Mahmudul said in the notice that children from different mothers become siblings when they drink milk from the same woman and marriage between siblings is haram.

Maulana Fariduddin Masud, chairman of Islahul Muslimin Council and Khatib of Sholakia Eidgah of Kishoreganj, has also asked how the babies who drink milk from the same woman will be identified when they grow up.

He, however, doesn’t see a problem in going ahead with the project once there is an answer to the question.

“I’ve heard that there are milk banks in some Muslim countries as well. We should see how they have solved the issue and settle ours after talking to the Olamas,” he said.

The Institute of Child and Mother Health or ICMH in Dhaka's Matuail.

Mojibur said he came to know that Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Kuwait and Malaysia have human milk banks after the idea of setting up one in Bangladesh came to his mind in 2017.

Ataur, however, says Bangladesh should not see what other countries were doing.

“We should see what problems it will create in our country. It will create a social crisis, which will be quite sensitive religiously,” he said. 

Mojibur said the ICMH had already fulfilled the conditions sought in the legal notice.

The names, addresses and other details of the milk donors and babies will be preserved properly and separate ID cards will be issued so that both donors and babies will know in future who had received milk from whom. 

Kenya has human milk bank. Photo: Reuters

Professor Mahbubul Haque, who works at the Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital’s neonatal department, thinks a human milk bank is essential for vulnerable children.

He said the infants remain at NICUs away from their mothers most of the time.

“A milk bank can be useful for such babies,” Dr Haque, warning that infant formulas have “different problems”.

“We can use a mother’s milk, no matter who she is, in such cases. Every developed country has milk banks. There is nothing to debate about it,” he said.

The doctor suspects the businesses related to infant formula “may be behind the opposition to the milk bank” in addition to the religious debate.

“We must keep in mind that many companies can take advantage of [a religious debate]. They have big business in these ICUs.”