Standing Tall

Acid Survivor Tahmina Islam knows how to look forward to life

Photograph by Ashraf Uddin Apu 

When someone falls prey to an acid attack, life instantly becomes a uphill battle for them. But for some, the scars become a reason to rise above the struggle and fight back.
Tahmina Islam, Programme Officer at Acid Survivors Foundation became an acid victim on March 27, 2000 in Sylhet. She became an unintentional target when a man with whom her colleague was once romantically involved with, attacked them on the street. “This left my colleague visually impaired in one eye and my face and hands scalded,” reveals Tahmina. After spending five days in Sylhet’s Osmani Medical Hospital, she was aided by BRAC and the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) to receive medical care from Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. She underwent treatment for three months after which through the help of women’s committee and ASF, she was flown to Italy for extensive surgery.
Slowly, the pangs of Tahmina’s trauma were eased by the Acid Survivors Foundation. In 2003, she joined the team to aid other survivors to move on with their lives. From there, life took a different turn for her. Tahmina’s work at ASF began in the medical unit as a medical assistant and in no time she became thoroughly involved in the numerous departments and projects at the organisation. “I am currently working for the Survivors Support Service. We visit the homes of survivors in order to rehabilitate them,” explains Tahmina.
Tahmina shares how the attack took a toll on her life. She says, “It’s an internal struggle for those who go through facial disfigurement. People ask various questions about my appearance; and I have to be prepared to answer them.”
But her indomitable spirit is what lifts Tahmina up. “Now that I’ve started working for ASF, I’ve received life skill training and acquired leadership qualities. I make the best of them to help my fellow survivors.” The resilient survivor acknowledges that though she last lost a lot in life, she has managed to fill that void with greater things. Tahmina says, “One has to muster up the courage and have the mental strength to overcome such incidents.”