At just 13, a Dhaka University student lost her father. Following her mother’s remarriage, she was sent to live in a hostel, leaving her emotionally alienated.
Over time, overwhelming loneliness hardened into a crushing conviction that life had become unendurable.
She attempted suicide twice, requiring critical hospital care on both occasions.
Despite medical warnings that attempt survivors remain at acute risk, her family took no preventive measures, and her university failed to offer adequate counselling. She never sought external specialist help.
Her ordeal reflects a broader national crisis. Suicide claims over 15,000 lives in Bangladesh annually, more than five times the national homicide rate.
Between 2020 and 2024, official police records documented at least 76,361 suicide deaths, while a 2023 survey recorded 20,505 cases. Law enforcement officials acknowledge that widespread social stigma leads to significant underreporting, meaning the actual toll is likely much higher.
Despite claiming thousands of lives each year, suicide receives minimal state intervention. Bangladesh still lacks a robust national framework to track attempt survivors, identify at-risk individuals, or provide accessible, long-term mental health support.
A life saved twice, yet still unsupported
The student’s initial attempt occurred at 17 following a painful relationship breakdown. The person she envisioned building her life with walked away, leaving her overwhelmed by emotional distress. She survived only because hostel authorities acted swiftly to secure emergency medical care.
During the Covid-19 lockdowns, her psychological struggles intensified after she was forced to return home. Tensions with her mother and stepfather escalated, convincing her that she was the root of every household conflict and that her family would be better off without her.
Her second attempt proved even more severe. Having previously taken an overdose of sleeping pills, this time she inflicted severe self-harm. Once again, she was admitted to hospital in critical condition.
“Recalling those days still fills me with deep sorrow. Had I not survived, I would never have experienced the life I have today,” she reflected. Yet her struggle persists as she continues to contend with deep-seated hopelessness.
No mechanism to track survivors
Bangladesh maintains no central registry to monitor individuals who survive suicide attempts, despite clinical consensus that they represent the highest-risk group for future fatalities. A study published by Cambridge University Press highlighted this lack of tracking as a primary weakness in the nation’s public health response, recommending the establishment of a national suicide database integrated with law enforcement records.
At the policy level, targets exist. The National Mental Health Policy 2022 and the National Mental Health Strategic Plan 2020–2030 explicitly designate suicide prevention as a priority, aiming for a 5 per cent reduction in suicide deaths by 2025. Implementation, however, remains severely stalled.
Sheikh Md Masudul Haque, alternative information officer at the Directorate General of Health Services, told TIMES that outside the National Institute of Mental Health, no dedicated national suicide prevention project is currently operational. The gap is left largely to volunteer groups.
Archaic laws deter help-seeking
Legal barriers further compound the crisis. Attempted suicide remains a criminal offence under Section 309 of the Penal Code, carrying penalties of up to one year’s simple imprisonment, a fine, or both.
Experts argue that criminalisation actively undermines public health outcomes. A 2022 study in BMJ Open revealed that countries retaining criminal penalties for suicide do not record lower suicide rates; in fact, rates were often slightly higher. Researchers stressed that criminalisation breeds fear, shame, and secrecy, deterring distressed individuals from seeking life-saving care.
Global precedents point toward reform. Sri Lanka decriminalised attempted suicide in 1998 and subsequently saw a marked decline in suicide rates, partially bolstered by strict pesticide regulations. Singapore followed suit in 2020, with WHO data indicating a 45 per cent reduction in suicide deaths in the nine months following decriminalisation compared to the same period the previous year.
Talk openly, prevent suicide
Azharul Islam, an associate professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at the University of Dhaka, believes the issue must be addressed more openly.
“There is a widespread societal misconception that discussing suicide increases the risk of it occurring. In reality, the opposite is true. The more scientific and constructive the dialogue surrounding suicide, the more opportunities individuals in crisis have to express themselves and explore alternatives. If appropriate psychological treatment reaches them swiftly at this stage, a life can be saved,” he said.
He stressed that establishing a dedicated ‘National Suicide Prevention Cell’ under the Non-Communicable Disease Control Unit of the Ministry of Health is essential. This body would oversee nationwide research, maintain precise epidemiological data, and encourage researchers and specialists to develop psychological interventions tailored to Bangladesh’s local cultural context.
Community-based intervention
Subhashish Kumar Chatterjee, Deputy Director of the Department of Psychology at Jahangirnagar University, emphasised that legislation alone cannot curb the crisis.
“Criminalising suicide does not prevent it; it simply drives people to conceal their suicidal thoughts out of fear,” he told TIMES.
He added that intervention must extend beyond clinical settings: “Peers in educational institutions should be trained to spot early warning signs, such as prolonged absenteeism, persistent sadness, self-harm, and withdrawal. Building trusted support networks among friends is crucial.”
He urged the implementation of year-round mental health awareness drives and the integration of psychological well-being into academic curricula.
Escalating youth vulnerability
Data from the Aanchal Foundation underscores an alarming rise in youth suicides, recording 403 student deaths across schools, colleges, universities, and madrasas in 2025, up from 310 in 2024.
Schoolchildren accounted for nearly half of these cases (190), alongside 92 college students, 77 university students, and 44 madrasa students. Notably, 60 per cent of the victims were female.
Key drivers included clinical depression, academic frustration, relationship breakdowns, domestic conflict, and sexual abuse, with cyberbullying also cited. Dhaka Division recorded three out of every ten student suicides, where high population density, urban pressures, hyper-competitive academic environments, and separation from family networks exacerbate mental distress.
An unaddressed rural crisis
The crisis extends far beyond major university campuses. While mental health structures exist on paper at rural upazila health complexes, experts state they are functionally non-existent.
“Simply appointing counsellors will not extend services to remote villages. We need community-based initiatives involving local leaders, religious figures, and educators,” Chatterjee noted. “Much like substance control, mental health requires a dedicated, coordinated national structure.”
For now, state action remains minimal, leaving thousands fighting silent battles without a safety net.
