Alarming Rise in Suicides in Rajshahi: Recent Figures Cause Concern

Some succumb to loan pressures, others to despair or mental anguish—ending their lives. The rising suicide trend has left families and experts deeply worried.

Local Correspondent | May 11, 2025

Zahurul Islam (55) from Puthia, Rajshahi, recently attempted suicide by consuming poison due to the burden of medical expenses for his expatriate son and his inability to repay installments on a loan taken from an NGO. He is currently undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH).

It was learned that Zahurul took a loan from an NGO after his son’s legs were severely burned in an accident. When he failed to repay the installments on time, two credit officers from the Jessore branch of Rural Reconstruction Foundation (RRF) allegedly humiliated him at his newlywed daughter’s in-laws’ house. Later, he was taken to their office, where he was given only two days to repay. Unable to meet the demand, he consumed pesticide at their Baneshwar branch office on April 29.

Doctors stated that since he ingested herbicide, his condition remains critical.

Meanwhile, suicide rates in the Rajshahi region are rising at an alarming rate. In April alone, RMCH authorities reported conducting autopsies on 35 suicide cases or attempts—a figure that excludes incidents recorded in police records.

On April 14, during Pahela Baishakh celebrations, 60-year-old Ruhul Amin committed suicide by jumping in front of a train at Nandangachhi Station. The incident went viral on social media. Reports suggest financial debt drove him to take this step. Earlier, in June 2024, the suicide video of young woman Remi had shocked the nation.

Throughout the year, Rajshahi has witnessed numerous such tragic incidents.

On January 11, RUET student Mehedi Hasan; on February 11, police ASI Aminul Islam; on February 21, Rabi’s Sifatullah; and on March 1, two housewives in Durgapur consumed poison. On April 6, former BUET student and expatriate Fariha Naznin took her own life.

Most recently, on May 9, college student Bilkis Nahar from Bagmara committed suicide. The 26-year-old, a resident of Bhagnadi village in Jogipara Union, was pursuing a Master’s in Political Science at a Rajshahi college. Police reported that long-term mental and physical illness, along with societal pressure regarding marriage, had left her emotionally shattered. Several medical prescriptions were recovered from her room.

According to data from the Aanchol Foundation, 310 suicides were recorded nationwide in 2024. Among them, the highest rate—65.7%—was among those aged 13-19. Women accounted for 61% of suicides, with a significant portion being students.

Dr. Akter Banu, Professor of Psychology at Rajshahi University, emphasized the urgent need for institutionalized mental healthcare. “Families, society, and the administration must collectively prioritize mental health. To prevent suicides, we must stop viewing psychiatric treatment as ‘madness treatment’ and instead see it as support for an ailing individual.”

Experts believe suicide prevention requires women’s empowerment and property rights, accessible loan facilities with flexible repayment terms, mental health counseling services in every hospital, and compassionate family and societal support.