Mental health experts and activists on Thursday called for repealing the colonial-era law criminalizing attempted suicide at a gathering and candlelight vigil at TSC on the University of Dhaka campus to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.
The event, themed “Changing the Conversation, Strengthening Prevention, Saving Lives,” was organized by the Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation (IWF), the Student Guidance Office of TSC, and the Nasirullah Psychotherapy Unit of the Department of Clinical Psychology at Dhaka University.
Citing police records, organizers said 76,361 people died by suicide in Bangladesh between 2020 and 2024, while another 13,491 died between January and November 2025.
Media-identified cases showed that 513 students died by suicide in 2023, 310 in 2024 and 403 in 2025. At least 10 student suicides were reported nationwide after the 2026 SSC results were published on August 10, although organizers cautioned that the media-based figure is incomplete.
Speakers repeatedly pointed to Section 309 of the Penal Code, 1860, which remains in force and provides for up to one year in prison, a fine, or both for attempted suicide.
Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, a professor at Dhaka University’s Department of Clinical Psychology, said the law criminalizes people already in deep distress and called for suicide-prevention centers in all 503 upazilas.
Imdadul Haque Talukdar, a public mental health specialist, also urged reform of the law, highlighting its colonial origins.
He cited WHO estimates showing that Bangladeshi households bear the large majority of healthcare costs out of pocket and pointed to New Zealand’s “wellbeing budget” as a model for prioritizing mental health spending.
Ahommed Takbir Araf, coordinator of TeenTeen, a youth helpline, said 70% to 80% of mental health conditions emerge between the ages of 13 and 19.
However, parents and teachers often dismiss warning signs as a passing phase, leaving teenagers afraid to speak up for fear of being labeled “mad,” he said.
He said his organization is building a judgment-free platform where teenagers can simply be heard.
Mahmuda Rahman Khan, chief operating officer of the Global Center of Excellence, described Suicide First Aid, an international training program that teaches laypeople to assess suicide risk using a framework she called CPR: current plan, previous attempts and resources.
Drawing on her own experience with postpartum depression, she said people rarely announce suicidal intent directly but often signal it indirectly.
“No one who attempts suicide truly wants to die,” she said. “They cannot see a way out of the problem consuming them.”
Organizers called on the government, institutions, health professionals, media and families to strengthen suicide-prevention strategies, support pathways, responsible reporting and open conversations, linking the effort to SDG target 3.4.
The event ended with a candlelight vigil.
