A young man in Tangail's Madhupur upazila is suffering from a rare disease that makes the skin on his face melt.
Abdul Hai alias Adu, 20—the middle son of Nurul Islam, resident of Shalika village of the district—has suffered from a disease called Parry-Romberg syndrome, since he was seven.
This acquired disorder is characterized by the slow atrophy of the skin and soft tissues of half of the face, called hemifacial atrophy; in Adu's case, the whole left side of his face starting atrophying, from his left eye.
In even rarer cases, both sides of the face are affected.
When contacted, Adur's father Nurul Islam said: "He was completely fine in his early years of life. But things started to change after five years when suddenly he started to have severe itching problems under his left eye.
"After taking local homeopathy medicines he started to bleed from the affected eye. The we took him to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for better treatment."
"However, we could not continue his treatment as it is quite expensive and we are very poor. We brought him back home after one month at the hospital," he added.
Adu, talking about his condition and current mental and physical state, said: "Whenever I come out of my house, I feel very awkward in public. I also have broken my right leg. I cannot even walk without a cane."
He added: "The affected area [on my face] does not hurt but water comes out of it sometimes"
When asked for a comment, local jewelry shop owner Subrata Karmakar said: "Even though Adu is disabled, he works hard to earn and does not beg for help."
Echoing this, Mahismara Union Parishad Chairman Kazi Abdul Motaleb said: "Adu, who suffers from a very rare disease, has been provided with disability allowance. His condition might improve if he receives better treatment."