The number of students who took their own lives reached 403 in 2025, covering educational institutions from schools to universities and madrasas nationwide, said a study by the Aachol Foundation published on Saturday.
Among them, the highest number -- 190 students -- died by suicide at the school level, accounting for 47.40 per cent of the total.
Aachol Foundation, a platform working to prevent suicide across the country and raising mental health awareness, published the study result virtually at a press conference titled 'Student Suicide: A Surging Crisis' after analising data from 165 local and national media on Saturday.
According to the foundation's previous study, 101 students died by suicide in 2021, 532 in 2022, 513 in 2023, and 310 in 2024. In 2025, 92 students (22.8 per cent) died by suicide at the college level, 77 students (19.10 per cent) at the university level, and 44 students (10.72 per cent) at the madrasa level.
Among the victims, 249 (61.8 per cent) were female students, while 154 (38.2 per cent) were male students. A closer analysis reveals a significant gender disparity.
Analysis showed that two major factors contributed to the student suicides: depression, accounting for 27.79 per cent, and sulking, accounting for 23.32 per cent.
As many as 72 students died by suicide due to academic pressure, most of whom were in schools and colleges. Female students accounted for the majority, representing 70.83 per cent.
Among 72 school and college students, the highest number of female victims suffered from academic pressure, representing 70.83 per cent.
Among the students, affair-related issues led to 53 deaths, family disputes prompted 32 students to take their lives, mental instability contributed to 25 suicides, and sexual abuse accounted for 14 cases.
The death of a female student due to cyberbullying also underscores a new and troubling dimension of digital insecurity and online violence.
The organisation stated that a lack of open communication within families, limited professional counseling services in educational institutions, social harassment or feelings of humiliation, and ignorance about mental health are further exacerbating the situation.
Dhaka division recorded the highest number of student suicides, with 118 cases, accounting for 29.24 per cent.
Among adolescents aged 13 to 19 years, the suicide rate stood at 66.50 per cent, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all suicides. Of these, 190 were females and 78 were males.
At the university level, out of 77 students, 44 were from public universities, 17 from private universities, 6 from medical colleges, and 10 from the National University and its affiliated colleges.
Dr. Anis Ahmed, consultant forensic psychiatrist at the National Health Service, UK, Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Alam, psychiatrist at Applewood Centers, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital, US, Dr. Maruf Ahmed Khan, assistant director at Tangail Medical College, Sohel Mamun, program coordinator at Aachol Foundation, and Tansen Rose, president of Aachol Foundation, spoke at the conference.
The foundation recommended bringing all educational institutions under structured counseling services, ensuring regular mental health screenings for students, and training teachers and peers to identify signs of stress, depression, or anxiety among students.
It also suggested reducing the social stigma associated with suicide and mental health issues through awareness campaigns in news media, posters, and social media platforms.
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