The New Nation - Internet Edition

BRAC takeover of primary education opposed: Teachers say, the NGO will implement micro-credit programme through primary schools; govt given 10-day ultimatum to withdraw decision

Staff Reporter

Various organisations of primary schoolteachers have strongly opposed the Government's decision to hand over the responsibility of supervision of primary schools to BRAC, an NGO, which they said would first implement its micro-credit agenda through the schools.

The teachers, at a press conference yesterday, set a 10-day ultimatum before the Government to rescind the decision. Otherwise, they would go for countrywide movement to compel the Government to cancel it.

Bangladesh Primary Teachers Association (BPTA), Bangladesh Private Primary Teachers Association (BPPTA), Bangladesh Graduate Primary Teachers Association (BGPTA) and Bangladesh Community Primary Teachers Association (BCPTA) jointly organised the press conference at the BPTA office.

The primary schoolteachers announced a series of programmes to press home their demands, including submission of memorandum to the Adviser for Primary and Mass Education and other offices concerned on May 28, wearing black badges by primary schoolteachers across the country from June 10 to 12, and submission of memorandum to the Chief Adviser's Office on June 12.

On April 23 this year, the Government decided to give BRAC the responsibility of monitoring all the primary schools, including Government, private and community schools, in 30 upazilas across the country.

BPTA president Wahiduzzaman Miah at the press conference said that country's primary educational system could be ruined if monitored or supervised by an inexperienced organisation like BRAC as it could not run its own schools in remote areas for "mismanagement".

"It's nothing but an initial process to privatise the Government primary schools. And we all have to be aware about such initiatives," he said.

He urged the authorities of all the primary schools not to allow any NGO (BRAC) workers in the schools.

He said the instructors and assistant instructors of Upazila Resource Center (URC) are giving the teachers necessary training in a scientific way.

"Following the training, Thana Education Officer (TEO) and Assistant Thana Education Officer (ATEO) monitored and supervised it closely for quality education," he told the journalists.

Wahiduzzaman said it is necessary to take some effective measures like promotion to secure qualified teachers for ensuring quality education as many highly qualified teachers are leaving the profession for financial insecurity.

"The main objective of NGOs in the country is to start credit programme. If they (BRAC) entered any schools in the name of monitoring quality education, the BRAC workers will definitely launch their prefixed credit programme," President of BPTA Mohammad Shamsul Alam said.

The leaders of primary schoolteachers also demanded introducing rationing system for teachers with 60 per cent dearness allowances, single education system in primary level, removing salary discrimination among the staffs, nationalisation of all the in-service non-Government school teachers, and recruiting both male and female teachers based on equal qualifications.

BGPTA president Abdul Khaleque, BPTA Secretary General BM Asad Ullah and BPTA Joint Secretary Naznin Banu were, among others, present at the press conference.

Suu Kyi's house arrest extended: Ruling military's 'No' to any concession on domestic political front

Reuters, Yangon

Myanmar's junta extended the house arrest of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday, a move likely to dismay Western nations who promised millions of dollars in aid after Cyclone Nargis.

Officials drove to the Nobel laureate's lakeside Yangon home to read out a six-month extension order in person, said a government official, who asked not to be named.

However, a Yangon-based diplomat said it was for a year.

The 62-year-old Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a 1990 election landslide only to be denied power by the army, has now spent nearly 13 of the last 18 years under some form of arrest.

Her latest period of detention started on May 30, 2003 "for her own protection" after clashes between her supporters and pro-junta thugs in the northern town of Depayin. The last of a series of year-long extensions expired on Tuesday.

Although few expected Suu Kyi to be released, the extension is a timely reminder of the ruling military's refusal to make any concessions on the domestic political front despite its grudging acceptance of foreign help after the May 2 cyclone.

Hours before the extension, police arrested 20 NLD members trying to march to Suu Kyi's home. State-controlled media on Tuesday praised the United Nations for the help it has given to the 2.4 million people left destitute in the Irrawaddy delta, suggesting a thaw in the junta's frosty relationship with the outside world.

The English-language New Light of Myanmar, the generals' main mouthpiece, said U.N. agencies took "prompt action" to provide relief supplies after the cyclone, which left 134,000 people dead or missing.

Activists criticized U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for not speaking out about Suu Kyi's detention during his recent visit to Myanmar, which the U.N. chief said was purely a humanitarian mission.

"It is shameful that Ban Ki-Moon went to Burma and failed even to utter her name," Mark Farmaner, Director of the Burma Campaign UK, said.

"He is playing into the regime's hands. The U.N. is crawling on its knees before the regime, afraid to speak the truth in case it affects aid access deals, which the regime is already breaking in any case," he said.

Three weeks after the cyclone's 120 mph (190 kph) winds and sea surge devastated the delta, the U.N. says fewer than one in three of those most in need have received any aid.

Thousands of beggars line the roads, with droves of children shouting "Just throw something" at passing vehicles.

Witnesses say many villages have received no outside help, and waterways of the former Burma's "rice bowl" remain littered with animal carcasses and corpses, either grotesquely bloated or rotting to the bone.

Much of the blame for the aid delay rests with the junta, which has been reluctant to admit a large-scale international relief effort for fear of loosening the vice-like grip on power the army has held since a 1962 coup.

However, top diplomats who helped coordinate a donor conference in Yangon on Sunday said there were small signs of the generals gradually overcoming their pride and paranoia and admitting outside help.

"I can sense that there is a sense of urgency," Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said in the Thai capital on Tuesday.

"A sense of appreciation that the world, after all, is not all that hostile on some issues, particularly on humanitarian issues," Surin told a news conference.

Washington told the Yangon conference it was ready to raise its offer of $20.5 million in aid if the junta opened up, but added it was "dismayed" the generals went ahead with a constitutional referendum in the middle of the disaster.

Dialogue hinges on release of Khaleda, Hasina: Govt, AL, BNP fight war of nerves

Shahidul Islam

Education and Commerce Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday dropped a broad hint that the Government was considering the two major political parties' demand for the release of two detained former Prime Ministers-Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina-help them to sit across the table for the national dialogue.

The BNP and the Awami League (AL) have continued demanding the release of their Chiefs-Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina-to lead their respective party delegation to the national dialogue from the very beginning, formally since the pre-dialogue sessions with the Government in early April.

"Well, all the issues discussed and raised by different political parties are under consideration and all-out efforts are in place to make the dialogue fruitful," Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman told a press briefing when asked if the Government was contemplating to involve Begum Zia and Sheikh Hasina in the dialogue, as per demand of the two major parties of the country.

Meanwhile, the Awami League Central Working Committee (ALCWC) yesterday at a meeting decided not to join the ongoing formal dialogue with the Government without its detained President Sheikh Hasina.

"The Working Committee decided not to participate in the dialogue and the election without Sheikh Hasina," AL Presidium member Amir Hossain Amu told The New Nation after the ALCWC meeting last night.

Reiterating similar stand, BNP spokesman and Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan said his party was awaiting the Government's decision regarding the release of Begum Zia and Sheikh Hasina.

"We have made it clear that the dialogue will never be a success without the participation of the two detained former Prime Ministers (Khaleda and Hasina), as they are the ones, who enjoy the peoples' confidence and can translate decisions in to reality," he told this Correspondent.

Nazrul Islam Khan, however, hastened to drop a hint that the BNP's decision might be changed.

"We have not yet taken a final decision, as the Government's invitation letter (sent to BNP) neither mentioned a specific date for the dialogue with us nor a deadline for sending the names of the party delegation to the talks," he replied when asked whether his statement meant that BNP was boycotting the dialogue if Begum Zia was not released.

In the meantime, the Government has started preparations for holding a parallel dialogue with representatives of the citizens' group and professional bodies.

As part of the plan Commerce and Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman will hold a meeting with leaders of the business community, including FBCCI President Annisul Haq, at 3:00pm at the Secretariat.

The political dialogue will be held with Islamic Shashantantra Andolan on Thursday, after three-day recess, the Adviser said, after a meeting of the four Advisers assigned for the dialogue.

"Everyday at 10:00am a session of dialogue will take place with a political party from June 2," said Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman rejecting the reported allegation that the Government was pressurising the two major political parties to force them to sit for the talks.

"I am not aware of any such pressure from any quarters," he replied.

"There is no reason for creating any pressure here," Hossain Zillur, who is acting as the Government's spokesman for the dialogue, asserted, adding, "We are hopeful that all (parties) will come forward to make the dialogue successful."

He said making the dialogue successful was not only the responsibility of the Government alone, rather it was everybody's duty to make the parleys fruitful since the hopes and aspirations of the nation depends on it.

To make the dialogue successful, all, including the political parties and media have to play a positive role along with the Government, he observed.

Asked how things would go in case the dialogue fails, Hossain Zillur replied, "We need not waste our time worrying about 'ifs' and 'buts'; we are working heart and soul to make it fruitful."

He said the Government has arranged the dialogue as it respects the people of the country and it also cares about public opinion.

"The nation is striving to move forward through identifying problems during the dialogue and resolving them," he asserted.

BB asks SCBs to recruit necessary manpower

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Bank yesterday asked the four state-owned commercial banks (SCBs) to recruit the required manpower immediately to improve their performance.

At a meeting with the Chairmen of the SCB's central bank Governor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed also asked them to give importance on reducing the default loans and going for online banking.

Chairmen and Managing Directors or CEOs of Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali banks were present at the meeting. This was the first meeting with the chairmen after the banks' corporatisation.

Sources said the meeting laid emphasise on quick completion of the recruitment process to appoint 2,000 executives, 500 each in the four banks, as the SCBs were suffering from acute manpower shortage.

They said written test of the recruitment process by the Bankers' Recruitment Committee (BRC) of Bangladesh Bank has already been completed.

"The four banks can be competitive in the market through improving their efficiency and services to the clients," the Governor told reporters.

He said the central bank has long been trying to bring down

the lending rates of the private commercial banks, but it would have been better to bring down the lending rates through competition.

The SCBs can be in the competition race through improving their efficiency and services as they have already lower rate of interest.

Replying to a question, Dr Salehuddin said the central bank would consider relaxing gradually the restrictions on the SCBs loan exposure with the gradual improvement of their performance.

He said the banks have been asked to expedite the default loan recovery drive through pursuing the cases pending with the courts.

Rohingyas to be repatriated to Myanmar: UNHCR

BSS, Dhaka

Visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said here yesterday that the Commission has been working to reestablish the trilateral process to send back the remaining 27,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar.

"We are working to find out a solution through which the Rohingya refugees could be sent back to Myanmar," Guterres told reporters after talks with Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at the state guesthouse Padma yesterday afternoon.

Guterres, former Portuguese prime minister, said the Commission has been trying to create a situation so the refugees voluntarily leave the camps and are accepted by the Myanmar authority.

He said it was not good to be a refugee in any circumstances.

They must live with dignity in their own homeland, he observed.

Asked whether the Commission was trying to relocate them in a third country, the UN refugee chief said Canada has already taken a good number of refugees. "So far Canada is the largest recipient of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh," he added.

He said many developed countries like the United States and Australia and some European countries accepted refugees.

"It is absolutely false," he said when his attention was drawn to allegations that some vested quarters and NGOs were preventing the refugees to leave Bangladesh. "We will act and act strongly if there are elements of truth in such allegations," Guterres stated.

"We are here to send them (refugees) not to reestablish them. We are not working for local integration," he added. "Our objective is to create a condition to return them to their country of origin," he emphatically said.

The UNHCR high commissioner, who arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit to see for himself the plight of the refugees, lauded the role of the Bangladesh government, the generous people and the administration for looking after the Rohingya refugees.

Dr Iftekhar said he had fruitful discussions with the UNHCR high commissioner. "Our intention is to resolve the issue once and for all. We discussed how to persuade Myanmar to take back their citizens."

Regarding the visit of Antonio Guterres, the foreign adviser said "We wanted that the high commissioner makes an on-the-spot visit to see for himself the situation." He expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved soon.

Rohingya refugees fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar's northern Rakhine state in the early 1990s. Through trilateral arrangements, most of the refugees went back to Myanmar while another 27,000 have been living in refugee camps in Cox's Bazar and Bandarban for more than 16 years.

NBR sets Tk 54,274cr revenue target

Talha Bin Habib

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has set a new target of collecting Tk 54,274 crore revenue for the fiscal 2008-09.

The new target for the NBR came after evaluating its excellent performance of collecting taxes and revenue during the current fiscal year.

The said revenue would be collected through widening the tax and VAT nets rather than increasing the rates. The procedure for collecting and submitting tax and VAT is to be simplified from the next fiscal year.

The new target of revenue would mitigate the growing expenditure of the Government. The NBR provides 75 per cent income of the government from internal resources.

From the next fiscal year some new sectors would be under the jurisdiction of VAT and tax.

FBCCI and other trade bodies demanded the continuation of tax holiday. Accordingly the NBR has decided to continue sector wise tax holidays, which were supposed to be expired on June 30 of the current fiscal. The tax holidays would be conditional. The Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SME) sectors would get first priority for the next budget. And the rate of VAT in the SME sector would also be reduced.

The Better Business Forum (BBF) has called upon the Government to give a chance for whitening the undisclosed money with penalty.

Initiatives are underway to use the whitened money in the main stream of the national economy.

The present tariff structure is 10 per cent for industrial raw materials, 15 per cent for intermediary goods and 25 for finished goods. However, it was not known if the structure would remain the same in the upcoming budget.

NBR Chairman Abdul Majid recently said a combined revenue budget would be presented for the next fiscal year preserving all concerned party interests.

He said the next revenue budget has also a target to reduce the import dependency of the country.

The Caretaker Government has taken stiff measures to nab the tax dodgers, which increased the number of tax payees and brought back dynamism in collection of taxes and revenue by NBR.

For the first ten months (July-April) of the current fiscal the NBR has collected Tk 35,313 crore. The growth rate was 23.21 per cent. The NBR had re-fixed its revenue collection from Tk 43,850 crore to Tk 45,970 crore for the current FY 07-08.

The previous governments have failed to reach the revenue collection targets due to poor performance and lack of coordination. But this is for the first time the revenue collection target had been revised by the Government due to fulfilment of desired level of collecting revenue by the NBR.

BB circular: NGOs to be involved in lending process, loan recovery

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh Bank yesterday issued a circular allowing the Commercial Banks to engage NGOs in their lending process to reduce the supervision cost and expand loans for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and agriculture.

According to the circular, the banks from now on would be able to take the help of NGOs in the processes of borrower selection, credit disbursement and loan recovery.

The central bank has been insisting the commercial banks to increase bank loans for the real sector, including agriculture and SMEs sectors, to stimulate the economic growth.

The central bank has also extended the tenure of mid-term loans for the medium enterprises from three years to four years.

Repayment of the loans with interest, if availed of the Bangladesh Bank's refinancing facility, would have to be made in 7 instalments with six months rebate from the date of disbursement.

Meanwhile, another circular defined that enterprises having fixed assets equivalent to a range between Tk 50,000 and Tk 50,00,000, without land and buildings, and manpower not more than 25 will be considered as small enterprises in the cases of services and commercial sectors.

Enterprises having fixed assets equivalent to a range between Tk 50,000 and Tk 1.50 crore without land and buildings and manpower not more than 50 will be treated as small manufacturing concerns.

For medium services and commercial enterprises, the fixed asset value without land and buildings was set at a range between Tk 50,00,000 and Tk 10 crore while manpower not more than 50.

And an enterprise will be considered as a medium manufacturing concern if its value of fixed assets ranges between Tk 1.50 crore and Tk 20 crore, and manpower not more than 150.

Bangladesh to request IDB to double its fuel oil financing

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh has decided to request the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to double its financing for fuel oil imports to US$2 billion as the country is struggling to meet the increased requirement from local sources.

A meeting on fuel oil financing at the Planning Ministry also decided to request the IDB to double the limit of an instalment of the financing to US$100 million.

At present the IDB provides around US$1 billion annually at an average instalment of US$49 million to finance fuel oil imports by Bangladesh.

Finance and Planning Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam will place the request to the IDB and its trade-financing window, Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), during the IDB's annual conference.

Dr Aziz will leave Dhaka Wednesday to attend the 33rd annual conference of IDB to be held on June 3-4 in Jeddah.

"If IDB accepts our request, it will reduce the pressure on foreign exchange and local financial institutions," the Adviser told newsmen after the meeting.

Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for Power and Energy Dr M Tamim and senior officials concerned were present.

Dr Aziz said the ITFC has already agreed with Bangladesh's request to finance the fuel oil imports at a rate of LIBOR plus 1.75 per cent (over 4 per cent). They earlier demanded a fixed rate of 5.5 per cent.

ITFC will deal with the trade financing issues starting from this year.

Judge, Defence Counsel exchange hot words

UNB, Dhaka

A special court holding the trial of barge-mounted power plant graft case yesterday observed a few defense counsels is vitiating court atmosphere and its image by taking advantage of the presence of Bangabandhu’s daughter and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The court's observation came following an 'unpalatable' behaviour by Adv Kazi Sajwar Hossain, the counsel for co-accused former energy and power secretary Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury.

When the court of Judge M Firoz Alam resumed at 10:05 am, Adv Sajwar asked the judge why on Monday he had ordered him to come today with preparation for cross-examining the PW.

"You cannot utter like this," Sajwar asserted before cross-examining the Prosecution Witness (PW) and the complainant of the case.

Initially the judge ignored his question and asked him to move forward with the cross-examination. But Sajwar did not pay heed to the judge and engaged in exchange of words.

At this time the judge blasted Sajwar and said the court order is ruling and one should comply with it. "If any is aggrieved with my order, one can file a petition in the higher court seeking redress of it," the judge said.

The judge further told Sajwar that his conduct undoubtedly amounts to contempt of court.

Public Prosecutor Syed Shamim Ahsan Habib supported the judge's stance and said let a contempt of proceeding be drawn against Sajwar under Section 228 of as his behaviour is highly contemptuous.

The judge in his apparent fit of anger pounded his file on his table and said "don't you know the court can take a lawyer of such behaviour to custody and bring proceeding and punish him?"

He said there is no room for battle in the court, there is no room for expressing any emotion or showing eyebrows in the court as the court is not accountable to any person.

The judge said "You should restrain your behaviour by showing respect to the daughter of Bangabandhu and former Prime Minister who is in the dock."

The court proceedings were disrupted for 15 minutes due to the altercations between the judge and the defence lawyer.

Later on Adv Shahara Khatun, a counsel for Hasina, prayed for apology for Sajwar to forgive the matter. Finally, the court allowed Sajwar to continue his cross-examination.

During the cross-examination, PW Sabbir denied a defence suggestion that Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury was made co-accused in the case as he refused to be a prosecution witness against Hasina.

PW Sabbir admitted that Khulna barge-mounted power plant started production in 1998 and was supplying electricity to the national grid benefiting the people in the power-deficit region.

The cross-examination of Sabbir was concluded yesterday by the defence counsel.

The court will resume on Thursday when new PWs will be produced for their depositions and cross-examinations as well.

HSC exams begins tomorrow

DU Correspondent

The examinations of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), Alim and HSC in Business Management (BM) will begin simultaneously on May 29 across the country.

A total of 6, 20,020 candidates from 7,120 educational institutions will appear for the examinations this year, with an increase of 78,842 candidates than the previous year. This was disclosed at a press briefing at the conference room of the education ministry yesterday.

Adviser to the Education Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman told the journalists that all preparations have been completed to hold the HSC, Alim and vocational examinations in a copying-free atmosphere across the country.

The adviser said stern actions would be taken against the students those found indulged in unfair means. Teachers will also be punished if found assisting students in copying in the examinations, he added.

Dr Zillur asked all concerned, including teachers and officials, to discharge their duties with utmost sincerity in the greater interest of the nation.

A number of vigilance teams comprising officials of the education ministry have been formed for ensuring the examinations peacefully, education ministry sources said.

Of the total examinees, 5,02,796 will appear under seven education boards, while 62,505 under the Madrasa Education Board and 54,719 under the Bangladesh Technical Board.

The board-wise number of HSC candidates are: Dhaka Board- 1,51,247, Rajshahi Board- 1,36,745, Comilla Board- 50,719, Jessore Board-70,809, Chittagong Board-41, 515, Barisal Board- 32,164, Sylhet Board- 19,597, Madrasa Board-62,505 and Technical Board- 54,719.

The HSC examinations will be held at 1,800 centres across the country. Of these 1,024 centres are set up under the seven education boards, 348 under the Madrasa Education Board and 428 under the Bangladesh Technical Board.

Besides, five overseas centers will be set up, where 155 candidates will sit for HSC and equivalent examinations.

Acting Education Secretary Ashraful Mukul, Additional Secretary Mozzamel Haque Khan, Joint Secretary Mohammad Shafiullah, Joint Secretary Nazrul Islam Khan, Chairmen of Dhaka Education Board, Madrasa Education Board and Technical Education Board, and concerned officials of the ministry were present.

Quashment of Niko case: HC rejects Khaleda's petition

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court yesterday rejected a petition of detained former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seeking quashment of Niko graft case against her as her counsel did not press for it.

The petition was heard before a division bench comprising Justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Mashuque Hosain Ahmed for four days.

Before passing the order, the counsel for Khaleda prayed for not pressing the case further.

The petition was filed on May 18. During the admissibility hearing, the court observed that since the matter involves facts and evidence, the bench could not act on it.

On the other hand, Khaleda's counsel insisted that the former Prime Minister could not be implicated since she did not approve the deal. Rather, she in her note stated that the contract could be awarded to Niko subject to the prescribed rules and regulations, they said.

Khandaker Mahbub Uddin Ahmed and Barrister Rafiqul Islam Mian appeared for Khaleda while the Anti-Corruption Commission was represented by Anisul Huq.

On December 9, 2007, the anti-graft watchdog filed the Niko graft case with Tejgaon police station for allegedly causing huge losses to the national exchequre through signing deals with the Canadian oil company. On the same day, a separate Niko case was filed with the same police station against another detained former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The charge-sheets in both the cases have already been submitted with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court.

The charge-sheet in the case against Khaleda and 10 others, including detained ex-Law Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed, was submitted to the CMM court on May 5.

Everyone must discard path of suicide

DU Correspondent

Despite being creative and enlightened, a number of students of Dhaka University are committing suicide, which is not acceptable to the nation, said speakers at a discussion meeting on the issue.

The speakers pointed out that some youths are committing suicide due to the growing distance between the creation and the creator, which increases frustration in them.

The students of Dhaka University (DU) arranged the meeting on 'Death Speaks' at the auditorium of Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of the university yesterday.

While addressing the meeting as Chief Guest, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz said a student should not think only

of himself as his family even the country has a right over him. That was why he must not choose the path of suicide.

He said different attractions would lure students, but they must learn to justify their pros and cons before running after those.

Besides, the meeting was addressed by Prof Tazmery SA Islam, Vice President of Dhaka University Teachers' Association, Prof UAB Razia Akhter Banu, Provost of Shahsunnahar Hall, Prof Rokeya Begum of Psychology Department, Prof Donald Gems Gomez and Shamsher Ali Helal, a Canadian expatriate.

Prof Tazmery said it was not possible to create life, so nobody had the authority to destroy it.

The present education system was liable for this situation, she claimed and said only a proper education could reduce such problem.

The main cause of suicide was depression. But not all the students commit suicide for this reason. They commit suicide for several other reasons like emotional breakdown, indecision, drug addiction and mental disorder, said Prof Rokeya Begum.