Tiny reminders of rape: Rohingya mothers cradle the unwanted

Story and photographs by Julie Zaugg, CNN

August 25, 2018

In the camps, rumors of unwanted babies sold to traffickers abound. But no one can name a specific case. “Adoptions are forbidden in Bangladesh, since a child trafficking scandal in the 80s,” explains Arun Dohle, who heads the NGO Against Child Trafficking. Adoption is also fairly uncommon in the Muslim world where an alternative foster system called kafala is often used. But Dohle and other experts say child trafficking networks linking Bangladesh with eastern India exist. In recent years, there have been cases of stolen babies sent over the border to West Bengal and sold to Indian or foreign couples wanting to adopt.