Helplines fighting against suicides
A non-profit organization named ‘Kan Pete Roi’ is providing mental support to people who are prone to suicide
On February 10 of this year, Nawshad Hasan Himu, twenty-eight years of age, was at his home in Mohammadpur, while his family members were on a trip to Barisal. Himu called his sister Nawshin Afroz and told her that he was going to commit suicide, as he could not take the mental pressure caused by his suffering. He also asked for forgiveness of his sister.
Afroz called police help line 999, asking for help to save her brother. The police took immediate steps. Forces from Mohammadpur police station swiftly reached Nawshad's residence in Mohammadpur, and saved his life by stopping him from doing anything reckless.
Concerned sources said, from January 1 to September 8 of this year 276 suicide attempts were prevented by informing the police via helpline 999.
A non-profit organization named 'Kan Pete Roi (Listening carefully)' is also providing mental support to people who are prone to suicide. The organization is running their operations with volunteers.
Ashik Abdullah Shuvo, outreach executive of 'Kan Pete Roi', said that it is a Bangladeshi helpline, providing emotional support; people from all over the country call at their numbers to get help; sometimes, they get calls from abroad too.
The organization has around 60 volunteer consultants who work in different shifts, receiving calls from people who are going through mental breakdown. They get most of the calls from men and women aged between 21 and 40.
In the last 6 years, they received around 18,000 calls. Twenty percent of the people who sought help had suicidal thoughts, 5 percent being very serious about it, said Shuvo.
According to the sources at the Police Headquarter and National Mental Health Institution, on an average, 30 people committed suicide every day in 2017. During the year, the highest number of suicides (2,585) was recorded in Barisal.
Today (September 10) the World Suicide Prevention Day is being observed all over the world.
'Kan Pete Roi's Outreach Executive told The Business Standard, "We give the same priority to everyone who calls us. Some may have small issues such as a mild form of depression; but we cannot judge how big or small the issue appears to them. It varies from person to person."