By Mayesha Raidah

The term ‘suicide’ has always been a taboo in our homes. We are daunted to address this topic and the causes behind it while the number of deaths from suicide rose 9663 to 10,129 each year from 2010 to 2013 respectively. These figures are exclusive of the police statistics which go unreported so there is a reason to fear that the underlying problem may be much worse.
Very recently a popular media figure and model named Sabira Hossain, 21 plunged into this devastating fate. Before her demise, she made a Facebook post blaming her boyfriend Nirjhar Sinha Rounaq responsible for her death. The members of law enforcement suspect that Sabira committed suicide being frustrated over her affair.
This is only one among thousand traumatizing incidents that occur on a daily basis. As the majority of suicide victims are young woman, more attention is given to the widely known whereas the reason which drives women to this fatal course is ignored. Despite the progressiveness of the city we live in, young girls and women continue to face additional pressure from the society. Physical and sexual assaults such as rape, harassment, and domestic violence are common reasons behind suicide cases involving women and young girls. Family issues, exam pressure, relationship problems may seem to be minor issues but this often contribute to taking drastic measures like committing suicide. Sabira is our prime example.
What’s worse? To this day, harassment, rape, oppression is still considered disapproved topics in the society. Women who speak up against such heinous crimes are frowned upon or shunned from the society. Where does that lead them? We should be ashamed that despite the radical growth of the city, we still cannot create an environment that allows them to be comfortable when speaking against the wrongdoing. Instead, they are condescended and scrutinized, driven to take dire measures such as committing suicide.
What I find most distressing is that Sabira, a beautiful girl with a prospective future had to end her life in order to receive empathy and support from the rest of the nation. If she was still alive to take actions against the wrong she was subjected to, she would have been subjected to scrutiny and criticism from the majority of people. What does this suggest? Willingly or not our culture is promoting committing suicide instead of speaking up. Is it truly worth it?