Asma Akhtar of Kishoreganj fell victim to acid violence for her refusal to accept a marriage proposal in August 1999 when she was only an eighth-grader.
"My dream of becoming a teacher was shattered in a flash," she said.
Asma was admitted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) after 15 days of the incident and underwent a couple of operations.
At one stage of her treatment, the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) came to help her.
The ASF sent her to Spain for reconstructive surgery and on her return she was admitted to open University to continue her study.
Asma passed her SSC examination last year and she is the first girl in her village to acquire the degree.
She is now pursuing her higher secondary education.
"I am still on the track of life and struggling to make my dream come true despite untold ordeals and trauma inflicted by a heinous perpetrator, who has been doomed to 33 years of imprisonment," Asma said while narrating her nightmare at a charity photo exhibition to raise fund for acid survivors organised by the ASF.
"We must support the acid victims not by marginalising them but
by including them in the society," said the Deputy British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Stephen Bridges while inaugurating the exhibition at the Spectra Convention Centre in Gulshan.
"We must launch a campaign against marginalisation of the acid victims promoting respect and dignity for the survivors who have courage to struggle for life," Stephen added.
Terming the acid throwing a heinous crime, he stressed on stern punishment to the criminals.
Economic independence is crucial to protect the acid victims from social trauma and ostracism and ensure a normal and dignified life, said ASF Executive Director Monira Rahman.
A group of acid survivors performed a drama titled 'Aina' (mirror) at the exhibition depicting horrendous experience of an acid victim.
The drama called upon all to join them in demolishing those social mirrors that reflect not only their defaced image of body but also disfigured form of life.
Established in 1999, the ASF provides medical treatment, legal aid and social rehabilitation support to the survivors.
Though the ASF had sent a few acid victims abroad for reconstructive medical surgery, it has by now got its own well-equipped 40-bed hospital exclusively for acid victims at Banani.
If notified within 24 hours of the incident, the ASF makes arrangement for hospitalisation of acid victims within 48 hours and accommodation of those without any shelter at its shelter home Thikana.
Around 70 renowned photographers and photojournalists have made generous contribution to the exhibition donating 350 exquisite photographs on life and nature of Bangladesh.
The charity price of each photograph is Tk 6,000.
The two-day show at the Spectra is the last of a three-phase exhibition. The show remains open to all from 10:00am to 5:00pm and comes to an end today.
ASF Treasurer SAM Showkat Hossain and President of JCI Bangladesh Safina Rahman also spoke at the exhibition cosponsored by Bangla Link, Nascom, Tack Training, Intelab, Kodak, Express one, North South University and Linkers.