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A dream come true for acid survivor

Mahbuba Zannat
Nilima, a 29-year-old woman who was forced to get married at the age of nine and was burnt with acid thrown by her husband at the very beginning of her conjugal life, has finally proved that a woman can establish herself in society and nothing can stop her from becoming self-reliant if she really wants to do so.
Nilima, now a medical attendant at the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF), is an example of self-reliant woman and a source of inspiration to other acid survivors who come to the ASF for their treatment or legal support and rehabilitation.
The woman, who was once dependent on her family, now provides financial support to her family. She hails from Manirampur injessore.
"As the living cost in the capital is too high, I can't save much money. Yet, I try to send money every other months to my parents who tried their best to arrange my tieatment and fight the legal battle against my husband who threw acid on my face," she said.
She still has difficulty speaking as her lips and nose were burnt
with acid. The acid attack has also impaired her ability to see and hear clearly. Her fault was that she did not want to come close to her husband, as she, then only nine, was afraid of that man.
"My husband wanted to kill me by throwing acid. I was burnt so badly that my parents lost the hope of my recovery," Nilima said.
"But I didn't lose heart," she said.
Nilima started to go to school again and studied up to class seven in her village school. She also provided private tuition to other students to earn money and even did hard work like earth digging to fulfil her dream of becoming self-reliant.
"I ignored all my pains at that time. I just wanted to be alive. I had done all types of odd jobs for long 15 years before I was brought to the Acid Survivors Foundation," she
Nilima underwent plastic and reconstructive surgery several times at the ASF Hospital. Although she has now some physical problems, she has been working at the ASF with dignity.
When asked dbddt Her husband, Nilima said, "He had already served 14 years in jail for throwing acid. After being freed, he got mar-
ried again and I have heard that he is now a father of three children."
Nilima has received justice as her husband was brought to book. But in most cases, acid attackers went unpunished due to lack of enforcement of laws.
"TVvo laws have been enacted in 2002 to curb acid attacks. But such crimes are still taking place as the laws are not being enforced properly," ASF Executive Director Monira Rahman said, adding that acid violence, however, has been declining gradually.
According to the ASF, the number of acid attacks was 154 in 2007, which was 174 in 2000, 252 in 2001 and 367 in 2002. But in most cases, the culprits went unpunished.
On February 28, the 16th meeting of the National Acid Control Council of the home ministry was told that charges against the culprits in 87 percent of acid attack cases could not be proved due to lack of evidence.
According to the home ministry, a total of 1.440 acid attack cases were filed during the period from Janua/y,2002 to January 2008, but orily 254 people have beeh convicted so far. Of them, 11 were sentenced to death and 90 others to life imprisonment.