513 students commit suicides in 2023: Report

Of the 513 students who took their lives in the country in 2023. Female students accounted for 60.2 percent of these tragic incidents, with 309 cases, while male student suicides stood at 204, the shocking information was disclosed in a virtual press conference organised by the private organization Anchal Foundation on Saturday (Jan 27).

The predominant factors leading students down the path of suicide were identified as vanity and love.

This revelation brings attention to the complex emotional struggles that young individuals face in their academic journeys.

The press conference, titled 'Student Suicide in 2023: Now is the Time to Act,' stressed the need for immediate and comprehensive measures to address this growing crisis.

The statistics indicate a marginal decrease in the overall student suicide rate compared to the previous year, with 532 recorded cases in 2022.

However, the alarming figure of 513 suicides in 2023 demands urgent attention and intervention. The victims belonged to various educational institutions, with 44 percent being school students, 27 percent college students, 19 percent university students, and over 9 percent madrasa students.

Besides, a significant 67 percent of the victims were aged between 13 and 19 years, highlighting the vulnerability of young students to mental health challenges.

The data further reveals that 19 of the students who committed suicide in 2023 were from public universities, with Dhaka University and Chittagong University recording the highest numbers. The Anchal Foundation emphasized that pride was the leading cause behind these suicides, accounting for more than 32 percent. Other contributing factors included love affairs (15 percent), mental health problems (10 percent), family quarrels (6 percent), domestic violence (over 1 percent), academic pressure (5 percent), failure in exams (4 percent), sexual harassment (3 percent), and humiliation (1 percent).

They emphasised the importance of enhancing social skills to prevent students from feeling isolated and recommend the teaching of patience as a crucial life skill.

The rising number of student suicides in 2023 is a distressing reality that demands immediate attention from educators, policymakers, and society as a whole. Efforts to address the root causes, including pride, and to foster emotional resilience and support systems, must be prioritized to prevent further loss of young lives.

The Anchal Foundation's call to action resonates as a wake-up call for all stakeholders to work collaboratively in creating a safer and more supportive environment for students across the country.

MAIN CAUSES OF STUDENT SUICIDES

'Emotional distress' emerged as the primary reason behind student suicides in Bangladesh last year, contributing to over 32 percent (165 cases) of these tragedies.

Relationships and affairs were the second leading cause, accounting for 14.8 percent of the incidents.

Mental health issues were identified in 9.9 percent of the cases, while domestic arguments and abuse contributed to 6.2 percent and 1.4 percent of the suicides.

Other significant factors leading to student suicides included academic pressures and performance.

Family pressure regarding studies led to 4.5 percent of the cases, while exam failures and underachievement in public exams were responsible for 3.4 percent and 1.8 percent of the suicides.

Sexual harassment was also a critical factor, accounting for 2.5 percent of the student suicides, while another 0.8 percent of the cases were due to feelings of humiliation.

DHAKA LEADS IN STUDENT SUICIDE CASES AGAIN

In 2023, Dhaka division saw the highest number of student suicides among Bangladesh's eight divisions, with a total of 149 cases, followed Chattogram with 89.

In Rajshahi, the number was 77, while Khulna saw 64 cases of student suicides. Both Barishal and Rangpur divisions reported 43 cases each. Mymensingh had 36 student suicides, and Sylhet recorded the lowest number with 12 cases.