Staff Reporter, Dhaka
Speakers are seen speaking at a press conference
At least 513 students committed suicide for various reasons across Bangladesh in the last year according to a survey by the non-governmental organization Aachol Foundation.
Of the 513, there were 227 school students, 140 college students, 98 university students and 48 madrasa students. Of them, 204 were male students and 309 were female students.
The findings of the survey were revealed at a press conference on Saturday.
The organization collected information about student suicides from 105 national and local newspapers and online portals of the country.
In 2022, at least 532 students died by suicide, according to the foundation.
According to the gathered information, in the year 2023, a total of 513 students committed suicide, and among them, 98 were university students, accounting for 19.1%. Of these, 26 were from national universities, 19 from public universities, 1 from agricultural universities, 14 from private universities, 7 from science and technology universities, 6 from medical colleges, 5 from nursing institutes, 2 from polytechnic institutes, 3 from engineering universities, and 15 others.
University-based analysis reveals that the highest number of suicide incidents occurred at Dhaka University. In 2023, 5 students from Dhaka University, 5 from Chittagong University, 3 from Jahangirnagar University, 2 from Rajshahi University, and 1 each from Jagannath University, Comilla University, Barisal University, and Islamic University chose the path of self-harm.
The most common reason behind university students’ suicides is relationship related issues, accounting for 16.5%, while 22.7% have chosen the path of suicide due to mental health issues, despite facing extensive mental challenges.