Published : 16 Sep 2026, 01:01 PM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 01:01 PM
Anik Chandra Pal, the Jagannath University student whose hanging body was recovered from a student residence in Dhaka’s Chankharpul, had been suffering from “depression” for some time, according to his friends and police.
Bangshal Police Station chief Ashiq Iqbal told bdnews24.com that investigators had yet to determine exactly what led to the 21-year-old’s death.
“It is not clear what exactly caused the incident. However, we know that the boy had been physically and mentally unwell,” he said.
“We have also learnt that he had been suffering from depression for a long time. That is why we initially believe he may have died by suicide.”
Anik’s body was recovered from a fourth-floor room at a student residence on BK Ganguly Lane in Chankharpul around midnight on Tuesday.
His fellow resident and Jagannath University student Joy Bhuiyan also said Anik had been dealing with family and financial problems and had become more withdrawn after the end of a relationship.
“After the breakup, Anik’s mobile phone was found switched off and broken. Since then, he had been quiet and spending time alone at the mess,” he said.
Joy said Anik had not responded to calls since Monday.
“A batchmate of Anik’s called me around 9:30pm on Tuesday and said he could not reach him. I later went to Anik’s room with another friend. I knocked on the door for a long time but got no response.”
Joy said the door was locked from the inside, prompting them to look into the room through a window.
"After that, I broke the window and looked inside to find Anik hanging from the ceiling fan by a towel. Then we broke down the door, rescued him, and took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with the help of some friends.”
Anik was declared dead at the hospital’s emergency department around 12:15am.
Ashiq said Anik’s body was being kept at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue and his family had been informed.
The body would be handed over to the family after the necessary procedures were completed, he added.
Anik was a student of the Department of Drawing and Painting in the 2023-24 academic year at Jagannath University.
Subash Pal, an assistant proctor at the university and assistant professor in Anik’s department, went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital after learning of his death.
He said Anik’s family had been contacted and the body would be handed over to his relatives after the legal procedures were completed.
