In a hawworing development, a latest study on Saturday revealed that no fewer than 101 students from public and private universities in Bangladesh committeed suicide last year amid the Covid pandemic.
Among the victims, 65 were male and 36 were female, said Aachol Foundation, a youth-led social organisation advocating for mental health in Bangladesh, which carried out the research, reports bdnews.
The results of the group’s survey, titled ‘Shocking Upsurge in Suicide Cases among University Students: The Liability of Stakeholders’, were detailed at a media briefing.
There were 12 suicides among medical students, or about 11.88 percent, while the number was four among engineering students, about 3.96 percent of overall suicides.
The survey was conducted based on reports published by nearly 50 national and local newspapers. The researchers also interviewed the families of the victims as part of the study, said Farzana Akter Bithi, an executive member of Aachol Foundation.
“Female students generally have more suicidal tendencies, but suicides of male students nearly doubled that of their female peers last year. Last year also recorded the most annual deaths by suicide. Increased social, financial and family pressures were major factors contributing to male students’ suicides,” she said.
Experts believe depression tied to social, financial and family pressure, increased by the pandemic, is the key factor behind the suicides.
