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Background and Aims: The connection between marital status and suicidal behavior has been poorly assessed in South Asia. We aimed to see the proportion of marital status in individuals with suicidal behavior in South Asian countries. Methods: We followed PRISMA guidelines and registered the protocol in advance (PROSPERO 2023 CRD42023399906). A systematic search was conducted in Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO. Meta‐analyses were performed to pool the proportion of married individuals with suicidal behavior (total [suicide + suicide attempts], suicide, and suicide attempt) in South Asian countries. We considered suicidal behavior consist of suicide and suicide attempts (nonfatal). Results: Our search identified 47 studies for this review from 6 countries published from 1999 to 2022 with a sample size ranging from 27 to 89,178. The proportion of married individuals was 55.4% (95% CI: 50.1–60.5) for suicidal behavior, 52.7% (95% CI: 44.5–60.7) for suicides, and 43.1 (95% CI: 32.9–53.9) for suicide attempts. The proportion of married persons among suicide attempts varied significantly across countries (p = 0.016) which was highest (61.8%; 95% CI: 57.2–66.2) in India, followed by Bangladesh (52.5%; 95% CI: 41.8%–62.9%) and Pakistan (45.1%; 95% CI: 30.9–59.9). The pooled proportions did not differ significantly in relation to the quality of the studies (p = 0.633). Conclusion: This review identified married persons died more than others by suicide in South Asian countries while single persons attempted suicide than married. As the current study did not assess any cause‐and‐effect association, a cautious interpretation is warranted while considering married marital status as a risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the interannual variability of monsoon onset and withdrawal in Bangladesh, both of which are major climate features shaping multiple societal activities. There is considerable research on the monsoon timing in South Asia, but with much less focus on Bangladesh. We applied a local monsoon onset and withdrawal definition to observations and the latest‐generation high‐resolution gridded precipitation data from the Climate Hazards Center for the period 1981 through 2018. We analyzed the interannual variability in monsoon timing in Bangladesh and its teleconnection with the sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) over the Pacific Ocean (El Niño Southern Oscillation, ENSO) and the Indian Ocean (IO). The monsoon starts with early significant rains in northeast Bangladesh and propagates westward, and a similar pattern is observed for withdrawal, which tends to be more homogeneous in time and space. A high spatial and temporal variability in monsoon onset and withdrawal is observed in Bangladesh, with a within‐country average range of around 1 month despite it being a country of relatively small size. The association between monsoon onset and withdrawal and ENSO and IO is addressed at the country and regional level by analyzing composites for different ENSO and IO phases and associated atmospheric circulation and moisture transport. A similar association between monsoon onset and ENSO and IO phases was found, with generally earlier (later) onset dates during the negative (positive) phase of ENSO and IO. Monsoon withdrawal shows a clearer association with ENSO, with earlier (later) dates during the positive (negative) phase. Monsoon withdrawal is earlier during the negative IO phase. SSTA‐induced anomalies in circulation and moisture transport contribute to anomalies in monsoon timing. Results suggest both ENSO and IOD can be potentially used as sources of predictability of monsoon onset and withdrawal over specific regions of Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]