In Bangladesh, 361 students, a significant percentage of whom were elementary students, succumbed to suicide between January and August in 2023.

Although Bangladesh's labour laws are comprehensive regarding wage rights, working hours, and physical health and safety, they do not explicitly address mental health concerns.

The concept of depression was foreign to me, and my limited knowledge of it came from the hushed conversations of elders

As Ripon Mondal's family try to recover from the drought that ruined their watermelon crop in central Bangladesh last year, the 19-year-old college student fears that his father's financial worries are just the tip of the iceberg

Fear of failure and negative thoughts affect a student’s life, academics, and career prospects immensely.

For someone with a serious mental health issue, getting up from bed every day is a great challenge.

Why is the country’s oldest mental hospital in such a bad state?

When addressing mental health in Bangladesh, we’re no strangers to being labelled ‘mad’ or in the Bengali definition ‘pagol,’ when we acknowledge our depression or want to invest in therapy. Among the mentally ill, the youth form a significant number. While many suffer needlessly, others actively seek assistance to tackle their mental health issues and overcome them.   

There needs to be a concerted effort to decrease the burden on our youth and listen to their problems intently

Suicide is a complex issue that requires institutionalised, therapeutic interventions to save lives, and stand by those who need support for their mental health condition.