Survey revealed that 7 to 8 people in every one lakh people commit suicide each year. And most of them are women. According to experts, women in the subcontinent, including Bangladesh, suffer from insecurity and frustration in different biological and psychological adverse situations, which force them to commit suicide. They said women commit suicide after facing domestic violence, torture at their husbands’ houses for dowry and complications in their personal life. Dr Helal Uddin Ahmed, an Assistant Professor of National Institute of Mental Health & Hospital (NIMH), said male-dominated society and lack of women empowerment also contribute to their suicide. Citing statistic of World Health Organization (WHO), he said the scenario of suicide is horrible in Bangladesh as data of Police Headquarters shows that about 59,760 people committed suicide in last six years in the country. Prof Tahmina Akhter, a teacher of Dhaka University’s Sociology Department, said the country’s adolescent girls commit suicide since they cannot control their emotion and cannot take negative things easily. In most of the cases, she said, adolescent girls commit suicides due to frustration after getting involved in love affairs.
Eve-teasing and sexual harassment and scandal also force girls to commit suicide, Tahmina said, adding that depression, family feud, divorce and complications in conjugal life are the other reasons behind suicide of women. Eminent psychiatrist Dr MA Mohit Kamal said depression will take top place in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) by 2030 and that is why everyone should remember that depression drives people towards committing suicide. Noting that depression severely affects the working life of people, he said about 3,000 people commit suicide worldwide every day while eight lakh people a year.
Dr Helal suggested identifying the mental patients and ensuing their treatment, removing prejudice from society, empowering women and providing counseling to people aiming to prevent suicide among people. Stressing the need for strengthening awareness on mental health aiming to prevent suicides among women, Prof Tahmina said a hotline (helpline) should be introduced to create mass awareness on mental health. Besides, she said, if entertainment facilities for people are increased, their suicide tendency and depression could be prevented. WHO fears after 2020, about 15 lakh people would commit suicides a year across the world.
