Incidents of student suicide rise alarmingly

As many as 364 students committed suicide in the last eight months of this year highlighting the grim picture or the vulnerable mental condition of the country’s youths, said a new survey disclosed on Friday. 

The data says 45 students committed suicide on an average per month.

Aachol Foundation, a youth-run organisation based in Dhaka University, collected data from 150 national and local newspapers and online portals across the country and compiled those.  

Dhaka, the capital, ranks first in terms of suicide. In the last eight months, 25.27 per cent of students committed suicide there.

Suicide rates among primary and high school students are the highest. Some 53.30 per cent of school-age (primary to secondary) students committed suicide. The number of these suicides is around 194 while 76 college students died by suicide, registering the second place. As many as 50 university students, on the other hand, committed suicide. 44 Madrasa students met their tragic end of their lives.

Female students continue to outnumber the males in suicides, accounting for 60.71 per cent of all suicides, or 221 people.

According to the results obtained from the survey, the tendency of suicide is the most noticeable among 13 to 20-year-olds, which is 78.6 per cent. 13.46 per cent of students in the age bracket of 21 to 26 years opted for suicide.

Romantic motives are blamed mostly. A maximum of 25.27 per cent of students sell their lives for romantic reasons. 7.42 per cent committed suicide because they couldn't afford a digital device, and 6.59 per cent because of family disputes.

Around 4.67 per cent committed suicide as a result of rape or sexual harassment. 3.57 per cent chose this path due to mental health issues. The reason for 15.93 per cent of suicides is unknown.

Some students who commit suicide had been observed to express their depression or withdrawal on social media before committing suicide.

Eight of them committed suicide by posting on Facebook while two others committed suicide via video call. In addition, 0.27 per cent of lovers committed suicide by directing the selfie camera at themselves. In addition, eight people committed suicide by leaving suicide notes before they died.

Suicide is also a result of cybercrime.

A similar curse befell the four students who committed suicide. Four students committed suicide after being blackmailed by recording offensive pictures and videos on their cellphones.

[email protected]