Background Bangladeshi university students are considered to be highly suicide-prone compared to other populations and cohorts. However, no prior epidemiological studies have assessed the suicidality (i.e., past-year suicidal ideation [SI], lifetime suicide plan [SP], and lifetime suicide attempt [SA]) among Bangladeshi students, including the variables such as past-year stressful life events and family mental health history. This is arguably a major knowledge gap in the country. Therefore, the present study investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors for suicidal behaviors among Bangladeshi university students. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing a convenience sampling method among a total of 1844 university students between October and November 2019. Data were collected based on the information related to socio-demographics, perceived health-related questions, past-year stressful life events, family mental health history, and suicidal behaviors (i.e., SI, SP, and SA). Chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data utilizing SPSS statistical software. Results The prevalence of past-year suicidal ideation, lifetime suicide plans, and suicide attempts were 13.4%, 6.0%, and 4.4%, respectively. Females reported significantly higher suicidal behavior than males (i.e., 20.6% vs.10.2% SI; 9% vs. 4.6% SP; and 6.4% vs.3.6% SA). Risk factors for SI were being female, year of academic study, residing in an urban area, using psychoactive substances, experiencing both past year physical and mental illness, experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events, experiencing campus ragging (i.e., senior students abusing, humiliating and/or harassing freshers or more junior students), experiencing family mental illness history, and having family suicide attempt history. SP was associated with several factors including being female, year of academic study, using psychoactive substance, experiencing both past-year physical and mental illness, and experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events. Risk factors for SA were being female, year of academic study, using psychoactive substances, experiencing past-year mental illness, experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events, and having family suicide attempt history. Conclusions University students appear to be a vulnerable group for experiencing suicidal behaviors. The present findings warrant rigorous action and early intervention programs such as counseling and other mental health professional services by university authorities. Longitudinal studies are highly recommended involving countrywide representative samples.

Purpose Although depression has adverse effects on all aspects of university students' quality of life, fewer studies have been conducted in Bangladesh; which was investigated herein. Design and Methods A cross‐sectional study was carried out among 1844 students enrolled at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to investigate the explanatory power of the variables predicting depression in this population. Findings Depression prevalence was 28.7%; and female gender, first‐year student status, substance use, past‐year physical and psychological illness, stressful life events, family psychiatric history, and personal suicidal behaviors were the main risk factors. The final model considering all the studied variables explained 23.5% of the variance in depression. Practical Implications Effective psychological help services, awareness and intervention programs, and so on, should be implemented to reduce students' psychological burdens.

Brucellosis is a major Bacterial Zoonotic disease worldwide. More than 500,000 new cases are reported globally every year with the annual incidence rates varying widely from <2 to >500 per 1000,000 population among different region of the world. This cross sectional descriptive study was carried out in the department of microbiology, Mymensingh medical college, Mymensingh, Bangladesh from 1st January to 31 December 2017, on total 600 patients of PUO with or without occupational exposure. Blood was taken as sample, serum was separated and screening test was done by Brucella specific latex agglutination test from all collected samples. A Titer of ≥ 1:160 was taken as positive. ICT, PCR and real time PCR were done from all screening positive samples. Among the study population 65.83% (395/600) were male and 34.17% (205/600) were female. The sero prevalence of Human Brucellosis was found 13.33% (40/300) and 5% (15/300), respectively in risk and non risk group of population. Out of 55 Brucella specific latex agglutination test positive samples 27.27% (15/55) were ICT positive, 5.45% (3/55) were PCR positive and 3.64% (2/55) were real time PCR positive. No ICT, PCR or Real time PCR cases were found from sero negative samples. Among the ICT positive cases 86.67% (13/15) from risk group and 13.33% (2/15) from non risk group of study population. Among the 3 PCR positive cases 13.33% (2/15) were from ICT positive cases and 2.5 % (1/40) from ICT negative cases. All PCR and Real time PCR positive cases were found in risk group of study population. No reliable data for Human Brucellosis is available in our country. However the present study revealed that a considerable number of Human Brucellosis is present in risk group as well as non risk group of population in both rural and urban area in Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. In our country we use only Brucella specific latex agglutination test for diagnosis of human Brucellosis. It is a non specific test and gives many false positive results. So it is necessary to introduce newer tests with higher sensitivity and specificity which will help to diagnose the disease rapidly and more accurately. Bangladesh J Med Microbiol 2020; 14 (2): 19-24