“I am in a state that likens water overflowing from the glass… I don’t belong anywhere. No one wants me.” 

Those words came quietly from Suma (pseudonym), a student found on the brink of a suicide attempt inside a Dhaka educational institution. 

The incident unfolded during an ordinary academic day. After consecutive classes, during the tiffin break, a teacher of a top college in Dhaka was preparing to have lunch when a student rushed in with an urgent warning that Suma was attempting to take her own life. 

She was found alone on a second-floor balcony, carrying tablets, with visible old self-inflicted injuries on her hand. She was immediately brought to safety. When asked if she had eaten, she replied softly that she had not. Food was offered, and after repeated encouragement, she began to eat. In that moment, she described herself as “overflowing water” that does not belong anywhere. 

What followed was a prolonged account of neglect, instability and trauma. 

Suma said she lost her mother at an early age and grew up in a fragmented household under a stepfamily structure. She described emotional neglect, lack of protection and physical abuse as recurring parts of her childhood. As she grew older, even basic needs such as food and safety remained uncertain. 

By adolescence, she began supporting herself through private tutoring. However, suspicion and restrictions within the household increased over time. At times, she was locked out overnight and falsely accused of misconduct for returning home late. Her distress gradually deepened into hopelessness, self-harm tendencies and a persistent sense of worthlessness.