A recent media-monitoring study has revealed that 446 students across Bangladesh died by suicide last year.
Dhaka division had the highest number of student suicides among the eight divisions, the study also said.
The data was revealed on Friday at a virtual press conference organized by Aachol Foundation. Farzana Akter Laboni, on behalf of the social welfare organization, disclosed the findings of the survey.
The study was prepared based on data collected and compiled from newspapers and online portals.
According to the data, the rise in suicide was significant among school students, with 340 school and equivalent-level students taking their own lives.
Moreover, 106 students at college and equivalent levels committed suicide, among whom 54 were madrasa students.
Suicide was prevalent among university students too as 86 university students chose suicide to end their life.
According to the report, among eight divisions, the number of school and college students who committed suicide was the highest in Dhaka. The division recorded 20.77% of the student suicides, followed by 17.27% in Chittagong and 16.81% in Rajshahi.
Besides, among the students who took their life, 14.13% were from Khulna division, 8.74% from Rangpur, 8.53% from Barisal, 6.27% from Mymensingh and 4.48% from Sylhet division.
The rate of suicide was higher among female students, who accounted for 285 of the deaths, while the number was 161 for male students.
Among them, 65.03% of female students and 34.07% of male students were school students, while 59.44% of women and 40.56% of men were college students.
Resentment was reported to be the prime reason behind these suicides. Among the several factors that came up in the survey, resentment or being emotional was the most common behaviour that led them to commit suicide. Some 27.06% of school and college students committed suicide out of resentment. Most of them took their own lives out of resentment toward their family members.
Other reasons included romantic relationships and family disputes.
At the press conference, Farzana Akter Laboni, research and analysis unit lead, said: “From school to university, suicide is increasing at an alarming rate among students of all levels. Aachol Foundation is working with the aim of reducing the number of suicides to zero in the country by increasing mental health awareness.”
