Suicides increasing in Bangladesh : WHO

Experts on Tuesday suggested an increased anti-suicide campaign in the country fearing the fatal tendency was gradually increasing with Bangladesh witnessing increasing number of suicides every day.
“According to the 2014 World Health Organisation (WHO) report, Bangladesh scored 10th place in the list of high suicide-prone nations . . . the country witnesses nearly eight incidents of suicides among every 100,000 people,” convenor of anti-suicidal campaign forum Brighter Bangladesh Joyosree Jaman told a press briefing on the eve of the World Suicide Prevention Day.
She said most of the victims aged between 21 and 30 who were led by extreme emotions due to different family or social reasons.
Joyosree added: “Suicide appears to many people as permanent solution to their temporary problems but the experts found that most of those who survived their suicide attempts are happy as they are still living in the world,” she told the briefing at the National Press Club.
A journalist by profession Joyosree launched the anti-suicide campaign floating the Brighter Bangladesh as her two teen-aged children committed suicide together in September last year in Uttara area, sparking a nationwide shock.
The press briefing was organized to outline the campaign ahead of the WHO-sponsored Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.
Dr Helal Uddin of National Mental Health Institution told the briefing that in a country of some 16 crore people, Bangladesh now has a little over 200 expert doctors who treat mental diseases while most of them were concentrated in the capital alone.
Helal Uddin said counseling was crucial for people who developed an intention to commit suicide while family members and friends could play a crucial role in the absence of trained psychiatrists or doctors.
Journalist Anwar Kabir, who earlier carried out an extensive journalistic study called for engaging NGOs to spearhead the anti-suicide campaign which should be aimed to generate massive awareness in the family and community levels.
According to police headquarter recorded nearly 60,000 cases of suicides in the last six years while they recorded 1029 such cases in 2013 alone.