Staff Reporter:
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser for Information and Broadcasting and Environment, Forests and Climate Change yesterday urged people from all walks of life to avoid unnecessary honking as part of efforts to control noise pollution.
“Honking without reason has become a deeply rooted bad habit over the years,” she said, adding that curbing noise pollution requires not only strict enforcement of laws but also a change in public behavior.
The adviser made the remarks while inaugurating a rally organized under the Department of Environ-ment’s ongoing Integrated and Partnership-based Project for Noise Pollution Control in Dhaka yesterday.
The rally, jointly organized by the Department of Environment and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), aimed to raise public awareness about noise pollution. With the slogan “No More Noise Pollu-tion, Let Healthy Life Prevail,” the adviser formally launched the colorful procession.
The rally started from Manik Mia Avenue (South Plaza of the National Parliament Building) in the morning, passed through Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, and Bijoy Sarani, and concluded at the Department of Environment in Agargaon.
Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, attended the program.
Adviser Rizwana highlighted that the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules, 2025, have already been gazetted. Under the rules, law enforcement responsibility now extends to the police alongside the Department of Environment, allowing immediate action against noise polluters since police personnel remain on the roads around the clock.
She noted that several areas of Dhaka have been declared silent zones and stressed the importance of strengthening monitoring in these areas.
The adviser identified unnecessary honking and fireworks as the two main sources of noise pollution currently being addressed. She added that initiatives will be taken to ensure fireworks are set off only at designated places during Pahela Baishakh.
Expressing optimism, she said the next elected government would continue ongoing programmes to con-trol noise pollution.
Dr. Md Kamruzzaman, Director General of the Department of Environment, and Md Sarwar, Additional Police Commissioner of DMP, also spoke at the program.
Other participants included Md Anisur Rahman, Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) of DMP; Fa-rid Ahmed, Project Director of the Noise Pollution Control Project; and senior officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Department of Environment, and the Dhaka Metropoli-tan Police.
