The tragic death of four members of the same family in Bamunshikhar area of Paba upazila of Rajshahi a couple of weeks ago is more than just a tragedy of one family or one region. Indeed, it is a chilling mirror reflecting the broader social and economic malaise afflicting Bangladesh today. Minarul Islam, 30, overwhelmed by debt, took the harrowing step of ending not just his own life, but also those of his wife Monira Begum, 28, and two innocent children: 13-year boy and 18-month baby girl. The incident clearly lays bare the heavy burden of rural debt, the growing addiction to online gambling and the ever-deepening crisis driven by declining real incomes.

Rajshahi has long borne the grim label of having one of the highest suicide rates in the country. According to the latest data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the suicide rate per 1,00,000 population in this division surpasses that of all other regions. Several factors have contributed to this situation. While a large proportion of the region's farmers suffer from seasonal unemployment and economic uncertainty, there is a glaring absence of accessible mental health services, which compounds the already precarious situation.

Minarul’s case is a reflection of a vicious cycle: a farmer takes out a loan to feed his family, falls behind on payments due to crop failure or market fluctuations, sinks deeper into debt, and finally, in utter despair, sees no option but to take his own life and, sometimes, heartbreakingly, the lives of his loved ones. High interest on microloans from NGOs, instalment pressure on loan repayments, and not getting fair prices for crops have pushed many farmers to the edge. Minarul had to pay an instalment of about Tk2740 every week, which is impossible for an agricultural labourer. This is the reason why he may have felt like a drowning man clutching at straws.

Another important issue that has come to the fore in this incident is the addiction of young people to online gambling. Locals said Minarul was once addicted to gambling, which triggered his initial spiral into debt. Although he may have stepped away later, the damage was already done since it is not easy to get out of the trap once you get into it. In today's Bangladesh, the young society is heading towards an invisible catastrophe through mobile games, Facebook pages and online betting applications, which promise quick money but often end in ruin, draining bank accounts, isolating users from their families and plunging them into depression.

According to a recent study, about one-third of urban youth in the country are involved in some form of online betting or gambling. Many of them have suffered financial losses, and many are mentally broken. However, the regulatory vacuum surrounding this digital menace remains glaring. There is no proper law or monitoring to effectively control these online gambling activities. In the absence of robust laws or real-time monitoring mechanisms in place, this unchecked digital decay is steadily eroding the well-being and potential of our younger generation.

Then there is another terrible reality: a decrease in real income. Although the official per capita income is said to be increasing, in reality the standard of living of the middle- and lower-class people is deteriorating day by day. Prices of essential commodities have doubled, but incomes have stagnated or decreased. In the middle of 2025, the average food inflation was 11%, but the average income rose by barely 4%. In such a disparity, people are forced to borrow to meet the basic needs of life. But for some, like Minarul, that borrowed lifeline becomes a noose.

Later, in a devastating echo of Minarul’s case, another farmer, Akbar Hossain hailed from Mohanpur Upazila, reportedly took his own life under the weight of mounting debt. Akbar, a 50-year-old farmer and betel leaf cultivator, had taken loans amounting to BDT 6-7 lakh from both NGOs and local moneylenders. A string of losses in betel cultivation meant he could no longer keep up with instalments. Crushed by anxiety and shame, he ended his life, whose causes lie not in personal failure but in systemic neglect.

We often hear of ‘debt suicide’, but the complex social and economic structures that underpin it are not adequately addressed by the state or society. However, what is needed to turn the tide now is a coordinated effort. Firstly, the microcredit policy needs to be reformed, formulating lending policies in line with the interest rate, instalment payment rules and farmer’s income. Secondly, the government should establish mental health support centres in rural areas, where people with depression can get free counselling. Thirdly, strict laws should be enacted, along with introducing sustainable digital monitoring systems to stop online gambling and betting. Fourthly, social safety net must be expanded so that indebted peasant families have access to timely food, health and education support. Fifth, the vulnerable families should be identified by forming a monitoring committee at the union or ward level.

Let these incidents open our eyes, so that the state and society look for a way out of this crisis. Their deaths should not pass into oblivion as mere statistics or fleeting news items but stir our collective conscience and galvanise us into action. In this society, no child should die due to the debt of the father, no mother should see the dead bodies of her children together in the morning, and no farmer should get rid of death by failing to repay the loan.

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The writer is an Editorial Assistant at Daily Sun.