Human organ trafficking is not exactly the most frequently talked-about issue. But for MSU anthropology professor Monir Moniruzzaman , it has been his life’s research for the past 12 years.
Moniruzzaman’s most recent field work was conducted in Bangladesh and he focused on kidneys, but said he has also noticed livers are a popular organ as well.
In 2013, Moniruzzaman interviewed a 23-year-old who sold part of his liver. He said that 23-year-old was one of the most extreme cases he has come across.
“For him, liver is an English word; he doesn’t even understand what ‘liver’ is. So these organs brokers, they entrapped him, they lured him by telling him that selling his body parts is a noble act. (They told him) ‘you can save somebody’s life, and you will be amply rewarded; you don’t have to work for the rest of your life,’” Moniruzzaman said.
The operation took place in a renowned Bangladesh hospital, which told the man that his liver was going to his uncle. According to Moniruzzaman, all the paperwork was falsified.
The 23-year-old man only ended up receiving half of the money that was promised by the broker.
While there are other hot spots around the world for human organ trafficking, including India, Pakistan, the Philippines , Egypt, China and different places in South America, Moniruzzaman chose Bangladesh because of the easy access he has to the country.
“I looked at how the trafficking network operates. So I looked at organ sellers who sold their bodily parts (and) I looked at recipients who received those organs. I interviewed those brokers who are involved in organ brokering (and) I interviewed doctors who basically perform surgeries and transportation,” Moniruzzaman said.
According to Moniruzzaman, most of these organ sellers are extremely poor and are being exploited for the body parts that are needed the most. He found that the economic condition of the sellers usually deteriorates after their organ is sold, rather than improving.
“Whatever money they received, it ran out, at one point ran dry, and then they couldn’t go back to their physically demanding job. They couldn’t afford the post-operative care because you have to pay for it,” Moniruzzaman said.
Many of these organ sellers are in debt from microcredit loans given out by non-government organizations and are constantly being pressured to repay these loans.
When asked what could be done to solve this issue, Moniruzzaman said that donating organs is the solution.
He said that Spain has adopted a helpful system where organ donating is considered presumed consent.
“When you are going to get your driver’s license here, to become a donor you have to fill out a form. But Spain is presumed consent where everybody is a donor, where if you wanted to opt out, then you have to fill out a form,” Moniruzzaman said.
Moniruzzaman said your organs are going to go to waste after death anyway, so you might as well donate them if you can save somebody’s life.
“Why waste it, rather than recycling it? And that is the solution, so people don’t go seeking desperate means to exploit other people who are living in a desperate condition,” Moniruzzaman said.
