Khairul Alam; Dhaka – Bangladesh is facing a escalating public health crisis, with police records revealing that over 76,000 people died by suicide between 2020 and 2024—an average exceeding 15,000 deaths annually.
This figure is more than triple the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2021 estimate of 4,714 annual suicide deaths in the country, highlighting a severe underreporting gap in official global projections.
The alarming statistics were presented on Sunday at a national stakeholder meeting organized by icddr,b, the National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital (NIMH), and WHO under the “Live Life: Suicide Prevention in Bangladesh” initiative.
The event brought together psychiatrists, researchers, law enforcement officials, and ministry representatives to address the systemic drivers of suicide and draft actionable interventions for the Bangladesh National Suicide Prevention Plan 2026–2030.
Police data indicates that young adults face the highest risk, driven by relationship conflicts, academic pressures, unemployment, and acute mental health distress.
Geographically, Jhenaidah, Dhaka, Comilla, Dinajpur, Bogra, Mymensingh, Kustia, Pabna, and Naogaon recorded the highest case volumes, with Jashore leading the country with 1,454 registered cases between 2022 and 2025.
A central recommendation from experts at the seminar was the urgent decriminalization or reform of Section 309 of the Penal Code—a colonial-era law that punishes attempted suicide with up to one year of imprisonment or fines.
Presenters emphasized that penalizing distress discourages individuals from seeking medical help due to legal fear, leading families to hide suicide attempts as accidental drownings or injuries.
Global research across 171 nations confirms that treating attempted suicide as a crime correlates with higher suicide rates, whereas countries like Sri Lanka and Singapore saw marked declines after repealing similar legal provisions.
“We must seriously consider whether attempted suicide can be removed from the list of offenses. Even if complete repeal is not feasible immediately, the law must be reformed.”— Prof. Foara Tasmim, Additional Director General (Development & Research), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)
Beyond legal reform, experts emphasized restricting access to lethal means.
Unsupervised access to highly toxic agricultural pesticides remains one of the primary methods of suicide in rural Bangladesh.
Drawing lessons from Sri Lanka and South Korea, where banning specific hazardous pesticides led to a drastic reduction in suicide rates, participants urged strict regulatory oversight on pesticide sales and storage.
Addressing Bangladesh’s suicide crisis requires shifting from punitive legislation to compassionate care. By integrating community-level reporting networks—utilizing local teachers, religious leaders, and healthcare workers—alongside decriminalization and accessible mental health services, the nation can establish an effective, life-saving support framework.