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Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) has successfully performed the country’s first kidney transplant involving an “emotional donor” — a voluntarily consenting donor who is emotionally connected to the recipient — opening up a new possibility in kidney transplantation in Bangladesh, the university’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr FM Siddiqui has said.
He disclosed the information at a press conference at BMU on Saturday. The patient who underwent the transplant was also discharged from the hospital on the same day.
Speaking at the event, Prof Siddiqui said the successful transplant marked the first such procedure in Bangladesh and could create new opportunities for patients requiring kidney transplants.
He said, in addition to close relatives, an emotionally connected person may voluntarily donate a kidney, subject to legal procedures and prescribed conditions.
The vice-chancellor said relevant authorities and agencies are involved in screening and verifying emotional donors. The legal status of a prospective donor is examined before the transplant process is undertaken, while a specialised hospital team conducts the necessary medical tests and evaluates the donor’s overall suitability.
The relationship between the donor and recipient, the donor’s voluntary consent and whether all legal and procedural requirements have been properly fulfilled are also verified, he said.
Prof Siddiqui said liver transplant services are already ongoing at BMU and that the university is gradually strengthening its capacity in organ transplantation.
He, however, stressed that there is no scope for any financial transaction in kidney donation.
“There is no scope for donating or receiving a kidney in exchange for money. Kidney donation must be completely voluntary and carried out in accordance with existing laws and prescribed conditions,” he said.
Responding to questions from journalists, Prof Dr Md Rafiqul Islam, a member of the transplant team and a professor of the Department of Urology, described the country’s first emotional-donor kidney transplant as a milestone for Bangladesh’s healthcare system.
He said the procedure had opened up new possibilities in kidney transplantation and demonstrated that such complex and advanced treatment could be provided in Bangladesh.
“This could reduce the need for patients to travel abroad for treatment in the future,” he said, adding that it could also reduce patients’ suffering and the substantial financial burden associated with overseas treatment.
Prof Rafiqul said the achievement was not merely a success in treating an individual patient, but also an important example of Bangladesh’s growing capacity and future potential in organ transplantation.
According to BMU sources, a patient from Bagerhat suffering from chronic kidney complications was admitted to the university on August 10, 2026. Following necessary medical examinations, screening and completion of legal procedures, the kidney transplant was performed on August 31.
The kidney was donated by a person from Gaibandha who was emotionally connected to the recipient and voluntarily agreed to donate the organ.
Following the successful surgery and post-operative treatment, the patient was discharged from the hospital on Saturday.
At the discharge ceremony, the patient shared their experience of treatment and expressed their emotions at getting a new lease on life.