The police have started an awareness campaign including door to door visit and distribution of leaflets in Kalai upazila under Joypurhat district, urging people not to fall into the trap of traders of human organs, especially kidneys.

At a rally organised by Kalai upazila unit of 'community police' at Boiragihat in Kalai upazila yesterday, around 4,000 people from different villages of the upazila pledged not to sell their organs, in presence of Joypurhat Deputy Commissioner Abdur Rahim, chief guest of the programme. 

"The police department is working to make the villagers aware about the bad impact of organ selling as we noticed that more and more people are showing interest to sell organs, especially kidneys," said Joypurhat Superintendent of Police Mollah Nazrul Islam in his address as chairperson of the rally.

"Earlier activities of organ trading gangs were reported in the area in August 2011. We will continue action against selling of organs like kidney and liver," he added.

The chairman and members of the local union parishad were present at the rally.

Locals said ringleaders of the organ trading gang and their brokers have again become active in the upazila and they are trying to tempt people to sell their organs by promising huge money.

Many people of Bohuti, Joypurbohuti, Jhamutpur, Bherendi, Raghabpur, Gorai, Simrail, Ulipur, Kusumpur, Binoil, Durgapur, Dudhail, Nayapara, Borai and Uttar Telihar villages have sold their kidneys as brokers assured them of giving Tk 2 to 6 lakh each.

But the kidney sellers were given much less than the promised amounts, said locals.

Talking with this correspondent, several organ sellers said the transplantations took place in India and Singapore, and addresses other than the original ones were used in the passports of the kidney sellers.

Saiful Islam, an elderly person of Bohuti village, said around 15 people including a few women sold their kidneys in last three months and 12 people are staying out of their village for organ transplantation.

Many of the organ sellers later act as brokers of the gang to convince people to do the same, said Nayan Chowdhury of Udaypur.

Hailing the initiative of local police to counsel people, Abul Khayer Golam Mawla, chairman of Ahmedabad union parishad, said police had earlier arrested the ringleaders of the organ trading gang and submitted charge sheet, but the accused people resumed the same work after release on bail.

Following the report of organ trading in Kalai upazila and subsequent case in 2011, police submitted charge sheet against 14 people the next year. In 2013 another case was filed accusing Abdus Sattar, ringleader of the organ trading gang.