Published: 11:49 PM, 22 September 2026
BMU plans to perform two liver transplants a month
Following six successful procedures, Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) plans to perform two liver transplants a month at its Super Specialized Hospital, Vice-Chancellor Prof FM Siddiqui has said.
He said the procedures had been completed for less than one-third of the cost in neighbouring countries, with further reductions possible as the programme expands.
The government has funded all six operations so far and will continue covering the cost through 2027, Prof Siddiqui said at a press conference at the hospital on Tuesday.
Four patients are currently being prepared for transplantation, with two procedures scheduled between Oct 10 and 12. The university aims to conduct 24 such surgeries a year.
While treatment costs around Tk 10 million in India, the expense at the BMU is estimated at Tk 3 million to Tk 3.5 million, he said.
Two of the six transplants were performed on Sept 1 and 2, 2025, while the other four took place on Jul 3 and 4 and Sept 11 and 12 this year. The patients are now receiving follow-up care through the university's liver transplant clinic.
BMU had performed one liver transplant each in 2019 and 2023, but the programme was not sustained. Regular procedures began after a new action plan was introduced in April.
Siddiqui said donor and recipient relationships, medical suitability and documents are checked at several stages under the Human Organ Transplantation Act to prevent financial transactions or irregularities.
A hospital board conducts a further review, while local representatives may be contacted when necessary.
He said the target requires extensive preparation and coordination involving surgeons, hepatologists, anaesthetists, nurses, resident doctors and infection-control teams.
"Such a successful surgery is not the achievement of a single surgeon," he said.
BMU said 19 specialised departments took part in the six procedures, with technical support from experts at Hyderabad's Asian Institute of Gastroenterology.
Recent recipient Jyotsna Begum is recovering well after receiving a liver from her son, Md Sazzad.
"I could not believe Bangladesh could do this even after the surgery," Sazzad said.
"My mother is now living a very healthy life... I have realised how far Bangladesh's healthcare system has progressed."
