Dr Mozib Newborn Foundation: Where Bangladesh's abandoned newborns find new lives
Every year, newborn babies are abandoned in dustbins, drains, on roadsides and beneath bridges across Bangladesh, many with little chance of survival. Since 2016, one organisation has quietly been working to rewrite their stories, having rescued 75 children from across the country so far
In late 2025, a newborn was found placed inside a plastic bag and dumped in a dustbin along with discarded peels of bottle gourd, pumpkin, and other vegetables. The baby's head had been struck with a stone to ensure death.
The baby was rescued at around 1am from Rupganj.
This is not an isolated case. Over the years, newborns have been found on roadsides, beneath bridges, inside drains and in abandoned fields across Bangladesh. Each story is different, yet almost all begin the same way — with a child abandoned within hours of birth.
Since 2016, one organisation has quietly been trying to change the story. Founded by Dr Mozibur Rahman, Chief Consultant at Bangladesh Neonatal Hospital, the Dr Mozib Newborn Foundation has rescued 75 abandoned newborns from across the country over nearly a decade.
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Although the foundation began its operations in 2016, it remained without official registration over the following eight years. It finally received government approval in 2024 during the interim government's tenure.
Where it all began
The foundation's first rescue came on 28 February 2016. Beneath Postogola Bridge, in a dark patch surrounded by mud and bamboo bushes, laid a one-day-old newborn struggling to breathe. The baby was suffering from severe respiratory distress and repeated seizures. Doctors later said the chances of survival were extremely slim.
For the next four months, Dr Mozibur and his team fought to keep the infant alive. Against expectations, the child survived. The baby was later named Nylah.
Dr Mozib said, citing local residents, that the child was abandoned because the father refused to accept her. Later, through legal procedures, guardianship and rehabilitation arrangements were made for the child.
The story is similar for Jannat. She was rescued from Demra, Narayanganj, in extremely critical condition with a fractured skull. After nine months of treatment, she recovered. Today, Jannat is growing up happily with a family and is attending school.
Many of these children have now found new families and some even live abroad, where their past identities remain hidden while they grow up in safe and loving environments.
Dr Mozib said, "After prolonged treatment, the children are placed with new families through legal procedures, and so far, they have not heard of a single child having been in an unsafe situation."
In 2025, another baby was rescued from Rupganj at around 3am. He was struck with a stone in his head, causing brain matter and cerebrospinal fluid to come out. After five months of continuous treatment, he survived. Named Anas, he is now part of a doctor's family and has found a new life surrounded by love.
Jishan's survival was another unlikely victory. At one stage, doctors struggled to secure an ICU bed, and few believed he would live. Yet after 22 days of relentless treatment under the foundation's care, he survived — adding another story of hope to a list that continues to grow.
The rescues are also becoming more frequent. According to Dr Mozib, between January and July this year, the foundation has already received 16 to 17 abandoned newborns — an increase that, he says, is worrying.
When the story reached the state
In 2021, while staying in London, Bangladesh's current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman watched a report on TV about a baby rescued from Sunamganj. The baby had already been receiving treatment for three months. From London, PM Rahman inquired about the child and sent financial assistance for treatment through his personal physician.
Dr Mozib added, "The PM sent Tk50,000 through our hospital for the baby's treatment."
"Instead of abandoning your child, contact us. But please, do not leave them behind. They are our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters. Why should they suffer the consequences of your mistakes? They did nothing wrong. They are our future generation, and through them our country and society will develop."
The case soon expanded beyond medical care. Police stations and local administration officials across the country were asked to help trace the child's family. After an extensive search, the parents were eventually located in a remote village in Sunamganj. Both were underaged and, according to the foundation, had abandoned the newborn out of fear of social stigma and family rejection.
They were informed that Tarique Rahman would send them monthly financial support, and the foundation would also provide Tk5,000 every month. They were convinced to keep the child. However, after receiving the money for two to three months, the parents abandoned the baby once again. Eventually, the child later passed away in a hospital in Sylhet.
The rescues continued. At present, three abandoned newborns remain under the foundation's care, receiving treatment and temporary shelter. In 2025 alone, the foundation rescued 28 babies, making it one of the busiest years since its inception.
However, as mentioned above, not every case draws a happy ending. Due to severe physical injuries and prolonged neglect, nine children could not survive under treatment.
Thousands of applications, one carefully selected family
Finding a family, the foundation says, is often more difficult than saving a life. Once a child has recovered, the focus shifts from medical care to a critical question: who can provide a safe, stable and permanent home?
Thousands of applications are submitted for the adoption of each child. During the initial screening, foundation members primarily assess three criteria: the applicant's educational qualifications, social status, and financial condition.
Dr Mozib noted, "The highest number of applications received for a single child was 35,000, while the lowest was 2,500."
Anyone can show interest in adopting a child. The process does not involve any sort of financial transaction. People can simply contact through the foundation's official website and Facebook page.
The selection process unfolds over several stages. From thousands of applications, the list is first narrowed to around 1,000. After further reviews, only about 100 families remain. The foundation's board then examines each profile individually before deciding which family will receive guardianship.
"The process cannot be rushed. Preparing the shortlist alone takes two to three months. After court approval, it usually takes another five to six months before the child is handed over," said Assistant Manager Md Juwel Islam.
The legal oversight does not end once a child joins a new family. Under court directives, the adoptive parents must present the child in person every six months. Concurrently, local intelligence agencies and police quietly monitor the child's wellbeing to prevent any risk of trafficking, abuse or exploitation.
A life beyond the hospital
For most of these children, the hospital was only the beginning of their story. Once they recovered, they left behind both the neonatal ward and the uncertainty that had marked their first days of life. Today, many are growing up in stable environments where abandonment is no longer the defining element of their identity.
Some have travelled farther than anyone imagined. Emon now lives in the United States, while Toriqul has become part of the family of an army officer. Their lives today bear little resemblance to the circumstances into which they were born.
For Rokeya Begum, a nurse who has worked at the hospital for the past five years, every farewell is bittersweet. "It makes me happy to hear that the children are doing well," she said. "But when they finally leave the hospital, it always feels emotional. We watch them fight for life from the very beginning."
Protecting the new identity
Children leaving the hospital does not mark the end of the foundation's responsibility. Protecting each child's identity becomes just as important as protecting their health.
Under the foundation's policy, contact with the family continues for up to three years. After that, all communication is deliberately brought to an end.
"For the first three years, I visited them regularly, spent time with them and followed their progress," Dr Mozib said.
This strict confidentiality policy is rooted in social realities. After three years, children usually develop their own social and family environment. Continued contact could allow neighbours or others in society to discover the child's biological identity. If that identity is revealed, the child may face social bullying, harassment, or psychological trauma.
Therefore, to permanently protect the child's new identity and allow them to grow up as healthy and normal citizens, the foundation follows this "privacy policy."
Hospital guard Shoel Miya has watched many abandoned newborns arrive at the hospital over the years. "Whenever I see them," he said, "I remind myself that none of this was ever their fault."
Yet despite the passing of many years, not a single biological parent has ever come back to ask the whereabouts of these children.
Dr Mozib hopes this heartbreaking reality will end someday. Urging everyone not to abandon newborns, he said, "My request to everyone is that instead of abandoning your child, please contact us. We will come and take the child. But please, do not leave them behind."
"They are our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters. Why should they suffer the consequences of your mistakes? They did nothing wrong. They are our future generation, and through them our country and society will develop," he added.
