The Institute of Child and Mother Health in Dhaka's Matuail has established the first human milk bank for orphans and foundlings. This has triggered controversy as one group of religious clerics feel that this goes against Islam.
But another section feels this is a noble initiative.
Chairman of National Tafsir Council, Moulana Ahmed Abdul Kaiyum, said: “ Relations between children sharing the same milk will be that of brother and sister and if a marriage takes place between them in the future then the union will be unlawful or haram (forbidden).”
Coordinator of human milk bank, Dr Mojibur Rahman, says: “This bank has been developed by following all Islamic norms. Milk donors and receivers will be given separate cards. The mother of a daughter will give milk to a girl child and the mother of a son will give milk to her son.”
Chairman of Islahul Muslimin, Moulana Farid Uddin Masud, has said: “The initiators of the project should sit with the religious clerics.”
Meanwhile, Dr Mujibur adds: “Two years ago, I went to a seminar on newborns and found that for a newborn, there’s no alternative to mother’s milk. Many infants die because they are not given breast milk. Even if they live, they face malnutrition and many develop other complications.”
Muslim countries like Kuwait, Malaysia, Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan have human milk banks with the slogan: ‘Human milk for human baby’ and, if they have done this then so can we, he adds.
“We presented our case to the Islamic Foundation and though they had some initial confusion, now they are satisfied.”
Asking for necessary conditions to be applied for the milk bank, supreme court lawyer, Mahmudul Hassan, has sent a legal notice to the ministry of religion, Islamic Foundation, Institute of Child and Mother Health, ICMH, the Dhaka district administration and others.
The notice says that there are legal and religious complications in the milk bank proposal.
It also stated that drinking milk from the same mother made a boy and girl brother and sister. Also, the bank was in contravention of 1937 Muslim personal law.
Dr Mujibur says: “I have not received the legal notice as yet. Once it is in hand, we will take the necessary steps.”