Author Description

This book is the outcome of a field study of 162 suicide cases conducted in two suicide prone Upazilas of Jheneidah District in Bangladesh. The adolescent females and males were found to be the most suicide prone. The major factors that drive the victims to commit suicide were found to be bad relationship between husbands and wives, family quarrels, poverty, suffering from chronic and incurable diseases, etc. In Jheneidah the majority of the suicide victims were young housewives between 16–25 years of age. Unmet dowry demands, the desire of husband to marry for the second time and family quarrels led to torture of young housewives by their husbands and in-laws specially mother-in-laws. Illiteracy, poverty and total economic dependence on husbands or parents appeared to be the major contributory factors behind these suicide cases. It is suggested that the laws against polygamy and dowry system should be strictly enforced and special legal aid should be provided to help the parents of suicide victims. The book also discusses the socio-economic and psychological conditions of suicide victims, the factors which compelled them to commit suicide, methods of committing suicide and the months, timing and place of suicide. A brief description of 19 suicide cases has been given in the book. Some measures for reducing and preventing the incidence of suicide have also been suggested.