Rizwana urges mass awareness to reduce noise pollution
- Update Time : Sunday, 25 January, 2026, 07:19 pm
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Online Desk : Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser to the Interim Government, Syeda Rizwana Hasan said that reducing noise pollution is everyone’s responsibility. “It cannot be left solely to the government. To control noise pollution, unnecessary honking must be stopped, as it’s a bad habit of ours, and it must be changed.” She made these remarks while addressing a rally organised to raise public awareness against honking in the airport area of the capital on Sunday.
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’. Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Farhina Ahmed was present at the event as a special guest. Rizwana, also in charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Ministry of Water Resources, said that initially the focus is only on horns. Under no circumstances should horns be used, she said, adding that just as police impose penalties on vehicles for violating other laws through digital devices, similar measures must be taken against honking.
She noted that the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules 2025 have now been enacted. Police have also been involved in this effort. The traffic police authorities have trained a number of young people for this work; they are now officially part of the traffic police. Civil Aviation can begin activities with the help of volunteers to stop honking in the declared silent zones of the airport. By making the airport area horn-free, an example can be set up, she added.
The adviser further stated that due to high noise levels, 65 percent of drivers in Dhaka city suffer from hearing impairment. When children go to school, the sound of horns is extremely uncomfortable for them. As a nation, everyone must take this responsibility, she added. She called upon the media professionals to come forward to raise public awareness and requested them to work proactively from their respective positions. Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed said that the government is firmly committed to implementing the regulations formulated to control noise pollution and sought cooperation from all concerned in this regard.
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 at that time.
