In a column in Desh Rupantor, Kashfia Kawsar Mim, a trainee educational psychologist at the Students' Counselling and Guidance Centre of the University of Dhaka, writes that university life, though a time of dreams, also brings academic pressure, exam anxiety, career uncertainty and strains in relationships and families that affect students' mental wellbeing. Irregular sleep, poor nutrition and late-night study add fatigue, poor concentration and difficulty managing emotions.
Her central point is that students' stress should not be seen as personal weakness, but understood through their experiences and surroundings. The theme of World Mental Health Day 2026, 'Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change', makes the same point: people who have lived through mental ill-health need a meaningful role in planning, policy and evaluation of services.
She cites a qualitative study of Bangladeshi children and adolescents published online in the journal International Health in 2025, which analysed the experiences of 38 participants and found anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, family conflict, limited services, poor knowledge of mental health and social stigma.
Among her proposals are accessible, confidential counselling on campus, academic schedules announced in advance, real career guidance, orientation and senior mentoring for new students, transparent allocation of hall seats, nutritious food in cafeterias, and more scholarships, stipends and low-interest education loans. For students she suggests less fast food, enough sleep, time management, regular contact with family and counselling when needed.
She asks: when a student does badly in an exam we question the result, but do we ask whether they are sleeping, or feeling alone? Instead of saying 'she is weak' or 'he worries too much', we need to know what a person is going through. Mental health care in Bangladesh, she argues, must become more accessible and affordable. The views are the writer's own.
Photo: Biswarup Ganguly / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Source: Desh Rupantor
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