How adoptees from Bangladesh search for their past | DW Documentary

Key Concepts

• International Adoption from Bangladesh (1970s-1990s)
• Child Trafficking and Illegal Adoption Practices
• Identity Crisis and Search for Biological Family
• Shapla Community (Network of Dutch-Bangladeshi Adoptees)
• TDH Netherlands (Terre des Hommes) Allegations
• Yustra Committee Report (Dutch Government Investigation)
• Humanitarian Aid vs. Demand for Children
• Paper Orphans and Falsified Paperwork

Sander Milster's Journey

• Background: Sander Milster, adopted from Dhaka, Bangladesh at 2.5 years old, raised in the Netherlands. After 48 years, he discovers his birth family through a DNA test and the help of a Bangladeshi adoptee organization in the Netherlands.
• DNA Match: A DNA test revealed that his brother in Bangladesh was looking for him.
• Preparation: Sander prepares to visit his family in Bangladesh, supported by his wife and son. He carries his original passport from Bangladesh as a connection to his past.
• Reunion: Sander travels to Tongi, Bangladesh, and reunites with his half-brother Barkat, who remembers him by his birth name, Tipu. The reunion is emotional, despite the language barrier.
• Family Visit: Sander visits the house where his mother lived her last days and meets his sister Aisha Aktar Suma and another brother, Mosam. He also visits his mother's grave.
• Liberation War Museum: Sander visits the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka, connecting his personal history to the birth of Bangladesh as a nation in 1971. He reflects on the displacement and movement of people during and after the war, which likely affected his own family.
• Quote: "Sometimes you meet people it feels like you always knew them and that's a kind of a feeling that I had that confirmed the homecoming" - Sander Milster, describing his connection with his family.

Suma Dehei's Story

• Background: Suma Dehei, adopted from Bangladesh in 1977, lives in the Netherlands and is a member of the Shapla community, helping other adoptees find their families.
• Shapla Community: Since 2003, Shapla has evolved from a social network to an organization that actively helps adoptees find their biological families. They have solved over 30 cases using a family tree database.
• Unsuccessful Search: Suma has been searching for her own biological family for 35 years, making five trips to Bangladesh. She has followed leads from her adoption papers, but much of the information has been misleading.
• False Lead: In 2019, she found a family whose story matched some details in her papers, but a DNA test proved they were not related.
• Quote: "When she was saying that you have your brother is looking for you it was like I felt like uh the ground underneath is disappearing it felt it felt so strange you know it was so weird it was like somebody is talking about somebody else you know and that somebody else was me" - Suma Dehei, describing the emotional impact of delivering the news to Sander.

The Dark Side of International Adoption

• Early Intentions: International adoptions from Bangladesh began as a humanitarian effort to help children affected by war and poverty.
• Child Trafficking: However, the system was exploited, leading to child trafficking and illegal adoption practices. Children were taken from their families under false pretenses, with mothers often told their children would be cared for and returned.
• Stories from Tongi: Many mothers in Tongi share similar stories of losing their children to daycare centers run by NGOs, who then sent the children abroad for adoption.
• TDH Netherlands Allegations: Terre des Hommes (TDH) Netherlands is accused by many in Tongi of child trafficking and forced adoptions.
• TDH Response: TDH Netherlands responded that they had never been an adoption agency and declined an interview.
• Demand and Supply: The increasing demand for children in Western countries, driven by factors like delayed motherhood and infertility, created a market that fueled corruption and illegal practices in sending countries.
• Paper Orphans: Children were turned into "paper orphans" through falsified paperwork, making them eligible for international adoption.
• Quote: "They were given to daycare centers in Duni so they could study and grow up while being cared for and then returned to their families nobody knew that the babies were being sent abroad" - Taslimar, a Shabla community worker, describing the deception used to take children from their families.

Dutch Government Investigation

• Yustra Committee: The Dutch government launched an investigation into international adoptions between 1967 and 1998, focusing on five countries, including Bangladesh.
• Findings: The Yustra Committee found that the Dutch government was aware of abuses in international adoptions but did not take action to prevent them.
• End of International Adoptions: Following the Yustra Commission report, the Dutch government ended international adoptions in 2024.

Current Situation

• Childcare Homes: Sander visits a childcare home in Dhaka that raises orphans in a family-like environment. The home prioritizes reuniting children with their biological families whenever possible.
• Suma's Perspective: Suma reflects on the challenges of being an adoptee, including the lack of information about her family medical history and the constant questioning about her adoption. She emphasizes that she did not choose to be adopted and does not feel obligated to be grateful.
• Quote: "I don't need to be grateful that I'm I'm here because I Yeah of course it's a better life than I have when I was grown up in Bangladesh but I don't know that maybe I was happier because I I was in my roots my own place" - Suma Dehei, expressing the complex emotions of being an adoptee.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The video explores the complex and often painful history of international adoptions from Bangladesh. While initially intended as a humanitarian effort, the system was corrupted, leading to child trafficking and the separation of families. The stories of Sander and Suma highlight the challenges faced by adoptees in searching for their identities and biological families. The Dutch government's investigation and subsequent ban on international adoptions reflect a growing awareness of the ethical issues involved. The video underscores the importance of ethical adoption practices and the need to prioritize the well-being of children and families.