A FIVE-year-old boy has been cruelly branded “The Devil” by villagers after his thumb and a finger on his left hand grew to giant proportions.
Due to a mysterious condition Tajbir Akhtar’s left hand is bigger than his head and weighs almost a STONE.
It makes simple tasks like holding a glass of water impossible, and the youngster even struggles to walk or run.
Because of his deformity, villagers have shunned Tajbir and have asked his mother, Parvin Akhtar, to keep her son out of sight.
Parvin said: “People are scared of the unusual size of his hands. They say my child frightens their kids. They call him a devil.
“It is painful to see my child being bullied by people. His hand is three times the size of children his age.
“It is so heavy that he cannot hold its weight and stumbles while walking or running.”
The villagers’ behaviour has forced little Tajbir to live a reclusive life.
He doesn’t go to school and has no friends to play with.
His mum added: “His days are spent inspecting the hand. He cries all day and demands an answer.
“He is always curious to know why his hand is abnormally bigger than other kids in the neighbourhood.
“I always tell him that Allah has created him in a different way.
His hand is three times the size of children his age. It is so heavy that he cannot hold its weight and stumbles while walking or running
Parvin Akhtar, Mum
“I want my child to live a normal childhood but what can we do?
“We do not have the means to get him medical treatment.”
Tajbir was born after desperate prayers by parents Parvin and Toufiqul Islam, a daily wage labour from Sonapara village in Bogra district of Bangladesh.
The couple had thrown a feast for friends and family to celebrate the birth of their son, but their happiness faded when he was two months old, and they noticed the first signs of the rare disease.
Toufiqul, who makes just £30 a month, recalled: “We were blessed with a girl and wanted a son.
“When he was born we thought our prayers were heard but within three months his hand started swelling.
“At first, it looked as if a wasp has stung him but the hand kept on growing bigger and bigger.
“His fingers started growing thicker and gradually changed the shape.”
The couple visited local doctors for help but returned home disappointed repeatedly after being told how expensive an op would be.
At first, it looked as if a wasp has stung him but the hand kept on growing bigger and bigger. His fingers started growing thicker and gradually changed the shape
Dad Toufiqul
With Tajbir’s condition getting worse, Toufiqul left for Malaysia as a migrant worker in the hope of making better money.
However, he could not arrange enough money for his son’s treatment and returned home three months ago.
He said: “I do not have enough to feed the family, footing his medical bills is beyond my capacity.
“Whatever money I could save I spent it all on his initial treatment but I have nothing left now.”
Luckily, the desperate parents have been shown a ray of hope by social media activist Mamun Biswas.
“I was told by a local contact about his condition and was shocked to see him,” said Mamun, who has helped hundreds of people with similar medical anomalies getting government help.
“The child needs immediate treatment. I have brought the matter to the health secretary and soon will see when can the government doctors start the treatment.”
Earlier this year, a young boy in India was branded “The Devil” by neighbours after suffering a similar condition affecting both his hands.
Tarik, 12, was struck by the mysterious condition that caused two fingers and thumb on each hand to balloon.
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