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A total of 403 school, college, university and madrasa students committed suicide across the country in 2025, said a study by Aachol Foundation published on Saturday.
Among them, the highest 190 students committed suicide at the school level, accounting for 47.40 per cent of the total.
Aachol Foundation, which works to prevent suicide across the country and raise mental health awareness, published the study results at a virtual news conference titled " Student Suicide: A Surging Crisis" after analysing data from 165 local and national media.
The previous study of the foundation said that in 2021, 101 university students, in 2022, 532 students, in 2023, 513 students, and in 2024, a total of 310 students committed suicide.
In 2025, at the college level, 92 students or 22.8 per cent, at the university, 77 students or 19.10 per cent, and in madrasa, 44 students or 10.72 per cent committed suicide.
As many as 249 or 61.8 per cent of the total victims are female students, and 154 or 38.2 per cent are male students. A slightly deeper analysis reveals a significant disparity.
Analysis showed that depression at 27.79 per cent and sulking at 23.32 per cent emerge as the two major causes of suicide.
And, 72 people have committed suicide due to academic pressure, most of whom are school and college students, where the number of female students is the highest, accounting for 70.83 per cent.
Due to affair-related issues, 53 people, family disputes 32 people, mental instability 25 people, and sexual abuse 14 people. The death of a female student due to cyberbullying also highlights a new and troubling dimension of digital insecurity and online violence.
The organisation said that lack of open communication within families, shortage of professional counselling services in educational institutions, social harassment or feelings of humiliation, and ignorance about mental health are further complicating the situation.
Dhaka division has the highest number of student suicides with 118 students, accounting for 29.24 per cent.
Among adolescents aged 13 to 19 years, the suicide rate is 66.50 per cent, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of all suicides. Of these, 190 are females, and 78 are males.
At the university level, out of 77 students, 44 are 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 Centres, 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 counselling services and ensuring regular mental health screenings for students. Train teachers and peers to identify signs of stress, depression, or anxiety among students.
It also suggested reducing social stigma connected with suicide and mental health through awareness campaigns in news media, posters, and social platforms.
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