Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser to the Interim Government, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, said on Sunday that reducing noise pollution is a responsibility shared by all.
“It cannot be left solely to the government. To control noise pollution, unnecessary honking must be stopped, as it is a bad habit of ours and needs to change,” she said while addressing a rally organised to raise public awareness against honking in the airport area of the city.
The Department of Environment, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh jointly organised the rally to implement the ‘Discouraging Honking in Declared Silent Zone’ initiative. Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr Farhina Ahmed, attended the event as a special guest.
Rizwana, who also oversees the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Ministry of Water Resources, said that the initial focus is solely on horns.
“Under no circumstances should horns be used,” she said, adding that just as police impose penalties on vehicles for violating other laws using digital devices, similar measures must be taken to curb honking.
She noted that the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules 2025 have now been enacted. Police are actively involved, and traffic police authorities have trained a number of young people, who are now officially part of the traffic police. Civil Aviation can also initiate activities with the help of volunteers to stop honking in declared silent zones of the airport. By making the airport area horn-free, an example can be set, she added.
The adviser further stated that due to high noise levels, 65 per cent of drivers in Dhaka city suffer from hearing impairment. The sound of horns is particularly distressing for children on their way to school. “As a nation, everyone must take this responsibility,” she added.
She called upon media professionals to raise public awareness and urged them to work proactively from their respective positions.
Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed said the government is firmly committed to implementing the regulations formulated to control noise pollution and sought cooperation from all concerned.
Others who spoke at the rally included DNCC Administrator Mohammad Ejaz, Additional Police Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Md Sarwar, and Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmud Siddique.
Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) of the DMP Md Anisur Rahman, Project Director of the Noise Pollution Control Project Farid Ahmed, and senior officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Department of Environment, DMP, BRTA, DNCC and Civil Aviation Authority were also present.
