It is unacceptable that all nine designated silent zones in Dhaka remain plagued by relentless honking despite the introduction of stricter noise pollution rules last year. The Noise Pollution (Control) Rules, 2025 gave traffic police greater enforcement powers and introduced tougher penalties for the use, manufacture, import, and sale of prohibited horns. But, as a report by this daily shows, little appears to have changed on the ground. A Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) study found that the average noise level across four silent zones—the Secretariat, Agargaon, and areas around the parliament and the prime minister’s office—was 97.63 decibels, almost twice the permissible limit of 50 decibels. At the Secretariat, the average was 100.17 decibels, with noise peaking at 127 decibels. This is deeply worrying.
The World Health Organization identifies environmental noise as one of the most significant health hazards globally, second only to air pollution. It recommends that average road traffic noise remain below 53 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night to avoid adverse health effects. Nearly all Dhaka residents are exposed to outdoor sound levels above the WHO’s traffic-noise guidelines, while around 900,000 people are exposed to levels exceeding 70 decibels. No residential area or designated silent zone in Dhaka meets the nighttime noise standards either. Experts say that children are particularly vulnerable to noise pollution because their hearing and cognitive abilities are still developing. Constant exposure to loud horns can disrupt sleep, increase anxiety and irritability, cause headaches, and make it harder for them to concentrate and learn. The situation calls for urgent action.
Declaring an area a silent zone is meaningless if the authorities cannot ensure that it remains one. The 2025 rules give traffic police the power to impose on-the-spot fines, while those using prohibited horns can face imprisonment or fines. The government must ensure that these provisions are properly enforced. Occasional drives to remove hydraulic horns and fine drivers are clearly not enough. Manufacturers, importers, and sellers of prohibited horns must also be identified and held accountable.
At the same time, the authorities should make greater use of technology to detect excessive noise automatically. This could make enforcement more consistent and reduce the limitations of manually identifying offending vehicles. Better traffic management is also crucial, as congestion and poor traffic systems encourage unnecessary honking. Finally, enforcement must be accompanied by public awareness campaigns. Drivers need to understand that excessive honking is not a harmless driving habit but a form of pollution that harms everyone. Dhaka’s noise pollution crisis must be treated as an emergency.
