Family dispute is the main cause of suicide in rural Bangladesh where most of the people belong to lower or lower middle class, revealed a study yesterday.

It is also the main reason behind 53.3 percent cases of suicide attempts in a certain locality, found the study.

Titled 'A community survey on the prevalence of suicide attempts and deaths in a selected area in Bangladesh'; the finding was revealed at the National Press Club in the city.

The study was conducted at Mominpur union under Sadar Upazila of Chuadanga from December 15, 2009 to March 15,2010 with the sample size of 3,551 households.

A total of 12,422 individuals of those households were surveyed. It revealed that 35 individuals attempted suicide in last one year and of them 16 died. The rest 19 however managed to survive.

The study was conducted by a group of teachers of Shaheed Suhrawardi Medical College in association with the Directorate General of Health Services.

Psychiatrist Mohit Kamal said we see family feud or poverty as the socio economic perspective

of suicide attempts but the number of those suffering frommentalillnessis unknown because of lack of mechanisms toaddresstheillness.

So the government should employ psychiatrists at primary health care levels, said the experts, adding that understanding the risk factors of suicide, resisting violence against women and formulating strategies to prevent suicide in individual, family and social level is a must.

"When a person commits suicide in any society, it signifies presence of ten more who attempted and another hundred who thought of doing so,” said Dr Syed Golam Mogni Mowla, co-investigator and assistant professor of the Shaheed Suhrawardi Medical College's medicine department.

BSMMU basic sciences faculty dean Prof Iqbal Arslan was present at the programme as the chief guest.

Shaheed Suhrawardi Medical College Principal Prof Dr ABM Maksudul Alam, Associate Prof of Medicine and Principal Investigator Dr A H M Feroz, Assistant Prof of Forensic Medicine and Co-investigator Dr AM Selim Reza, Dr Ridwanur Rahman and Dr AKM Jafarullah of the Directorate General of Health Services were also present among others.