DHAKA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- One in every seven people in Bangladesh has been suffering from kidney diseases and 40,000 die of longtime kidney failures annually, leading English newspaper The Daily Star reported Wednesday.

    Experts told a convention and scientific seminar here on Tuesday that about 20 million people are now somehow suffering from kidney ailments which was about 10 million 10 years ago, the newspaper said.

    Kidney Foundation, Bangladesh, a non-profitable organization, arranged the fourth national convention and scientific seminar here on prevention of chronic kidney disease.

    The experts who were present at the seminar said, the rate of chronic kidney disease was nine percent in the country 10 years ago, but it may rise to 28-30 percent in the next 10 years.

    President of Kidney Foundation Prof. Harun-Ur-Rasid said lack of awareness among the people is responsible for increasing number of kidney patients in the country.

    In the context of kidney patients, doctors and experts said, replacing dead cells of damaged kidney with stem cells without transplant and dialysis could restore its effectiveness.

    However, Bangladesh is yet to start carrying out research on stem cells, he said.