On average, 40 people die by suicide every day in the country. Among them, suicide by hanging is the most common method.
This information was shared yesterday, Monday, by Additional Inspector General of Police (Crime) Md Ashraful Islam at an event organised at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) in the capital. He said that among the districts of the country, Jashore has the highest number of suicide cases.
The event was organised to discuss the draft Bangladesh National Suicide Prevention Plan. The organisers were icddr,b, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), and the World Health Organization (WHO), jointly.
Public health experts and researchers generally rely on suicide-related data provided by the World Health Organization. According to the WHO’s latest data (2021), there were 4,714 suicide cases in Bangladesh in 2021. In contrast, Ashraful Islam said that police records show 15,050 suicide cases in that year. This means the actual number of suicides in Bangladesh is three times higher than the WHO’s estimated figure.
Several speakers at the event said that although suicide is being discussed, very little work is being done on prevention in the country. Professor Md Mahbubur Rahman, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said that suicide prevention cannot be achieved by any single individual, institution, or ministry alone. The health, agriculture, home affairs, education, religious affairs, and information ministries, along with other stakeholders, must work together in a coordinated manner.
40 suicides a day
While presenting the draft suicide prevention plan, Mohammad Sohel Shamim, Assistant Coordinator of the Mental Health Project at icddr,b, said that according to WHO estimates, 4,714 suicides occurred in Bangladesh in 2021, with a suicide rate of 2.8 per 100,000 people. However, the DGHS Health Bulletin reports a suicide rate of 8.68 per 100,000 people that year—significantly higher than the WHO estimate.
Police also say the actual number of suicides in the country is higher than the WHO estimate. Records of unnatural deaths due to suicide are maintained by the police. Additional Inspector General Ashraful Islam presented nationwide data on “suicide-related unnatural deaths” from 2020 to 2024, as well as from January to October of the current year.
The data show that between 2020 and 2024—a five-year period—a total of 73,597 people died by suicide in the country. That is an average of 14,719 suicides per year, or about 40 per day.
From January to October 2025, a total of 12,335 suicide cases were recorded, meaning the daily average remains almost the same—slightly higher, at around 41 cases per day.
Ashraful Islam said that in some cases, the tendency toward suicide has been found to be higher among men.
Hanging most common
Police records categorise suicide methods into five types: hanging, poisoning, self-immolation, jumping in front of trains, and others. Among these, hanging is the most commonly used method, followed by poisoning.
Case records show that among the 64 districts, Jashore has the highest number of suicide-related unnatural death cases. From October 2022 to October 2025, a total of 1,454 such cases were filed in the district. Dhaka district ranks second with 1,402 cases, followed by Cumilla with 1,288 cases during the same period.
Fear over agricultural chemicals
The use of pesticides and herbicides in suicides was also discussed at the event. Kazi Shafiqul Islam, Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Unit at the Department of Agricultural Extension, said that 342 types of pesticides and herbicides are used in the country. Among them, herbicides are the most dangerous. Licenses for importing two herbicides are no longer being issued, nor are existing licenses being renewed.
He added that the government has taken initiatives to reduce the use of highly harmful pesticides. There are also plans to make it mandatory to include warning messages or information on pesticide and herbicide packaging.
Kazi Shafiqul Islam said pesticide use is highest in eggplant cultivation. He also noted that although coriander leaves do not require pesticide use, many farmers still apply pesticides to them.
Several speakers commented that reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides could help lower suicide rates. Runiha Jahan, Director (Strategy and Partnership) of the NGO Kaan Pete Roi, said that in some areas of India, community-based initiatives have been taken to reduce pesticide and herbicide use among farmers. In those areas, farmers are not allowed to keep pesticides or herbicides at home. Instead, based on farmers’ needs, pesticides or herbicides are applied to their fields by the community. This system was introduced to ensure that people do not have easy access to such substances.
Not a crime, but a mental health issue
Several speakers said that suicide is primarily caused by mental distress, and certain mental illnesses contribute to it. However, suicide is still treated as a criminal offense under the law, with prescribed punishment. A person who dies by suicide cannot serve the punishment, but someone who attempts suicide and survives is considered a criminal and must face legal consequences. Out of fear of losing honor and facing punishment, many people conceal suicide attempts, making it difficult to obtain accurate data.
Other speakers at the event included Supreme Court lawyer Md Manzur Nahid; former Program Director (NCDC) of the DGHS, Mostafizur Rahman; Associate Professor at the National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital, Muntasir Maruf; Assistant Director (Disease Control Unit) of the DGHS, Nurjahan Ara Khatun; Head of the Mental Health Program at Moner Bondhu, Kazi Rumana Haque; and Manager (Research) at the Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs, HM Mirza Mahmud.