Dhaka has, dishearteningly, been named as among the least liveable cities in the world for a number of years now. While there are numerous reasons for this dismal reality, the sheer volume of this city at all times is one factor; from blaring horns to relentless construction, our capital’s average noise levels often soar to 125 decibels -- more than double the safe threshold recommended by the World Health Organization. 

However, while this level of noise is nothing if not exhausting for the average adult, it is the effect this noise is having on our children that is most concerning. 

Experts have warned that prolonged exposure to high noise harms memory, attention, sleep, hearing, and emotional development in children while teachers have reported cases where children’s voices are drowned out by traffic. Parents have described their children plagued by headaches, irritability, and sleepless nights and pediatric specialists have cautioned that noise triggers stress responses, weakening immunity and impairing learning capacity. 

In short, Dhaka’s children are being robbed of their ability to grow, learn, and thrive and it is about time we took this issue seriously. The cognitive and emotional damage inflicted today on our children could have a seriously detrimental effect, undermining the productivity, creativity, and resilience of our future. 

While we have laws such as the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules, 2006, there is zero enforcement, with horn bans ignored and construction sites operating unchecked. 

What we have always needed, not just to reduce noise levels but for any and all positive change, is not more rules but the political will and actual enforcement. A nation cannot hope to have a healthy future when its children are denied the basic right to a healthy environment.