From early morning till late night, a chaotic cacophony reigns over the Shahbagh crossing in complete disregard for Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and BIRDEM General Hospital, two of the country鈥檚 largest hospitals situated nearby overlooking the crossing. The 鈥榥o-honking鈥� signs posted at different points around the area are brazenly ignored by the drivers.
Such is the situation all over Dhaka city where all kinds of vehicles fiercely compete to move past each other, blaring horns in utter impatience.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University pro vice-chancellor professor Md Abul Kalam Azad expressed frustration at the constant noise pollution endured by the patients, physicians and other staff at both the hospitals situated along two turnings of the Shahbagh crossing.
鈥楾he post-operative patients suffer the worst,鈥� Kalam told 抖阴精品. 鈥楾hey can hardly get the restful sleep vital for their recovery.鈥�
Assistant commissioner Sarwar Hossain of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, responsible for traffic management in the Ramna Zone, attributed the noise pollution to the drivers of both public and private vehicles.
He also observes that over 80 per cent of the vehicles that pass through the Shahbagh crossing are regular users of the intersection and know very well about the two nearby hospitals.
鈥楧espite being aware of the hospitals, they honk unnecessarily,鈥� he said.
Several drivers of motorised vehicles have told 抖阴精品 that they are compelled to honk horns as public buses frequently pick up and drop off passengers at unauthorised stops, obstructing their path.
Private car chauffeur Rafiqul Islam, however, explained, 鈥榃e often feel compelled to honk if slow-moving or non-motorised vehicles like rickshaws obstruct our way, or when lane-switching motorcyclists appear in front of us.鈥�
Bus drivers have said that for Motijheel-Gulistan bound buses the designated bus stoppage at Shahbagh is near the tennis complex where passengers are hardly available.
鈥榃e don鈥檛 find passengers there. They all gather at the Shahbagh crossing. That鈥檚 why we make this place a common stoppage,鈥� said Atiq, a driver of a Mirpur-Gulistan route bus.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services, the capital city is home to eight tertiary-level hospitals, 17 specialised public hospitals, and more than 600 registered private hospitals.
Additionally, Dhaka city has nine public universities, 62 private universities, around 500 primary, secondary, and higher secondary educational institutions, along with numerous kindergartens, according to the University Grants Commission, and the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics.
Section 2(J) of the Sound Pollution Control Rules 2006 designates hospitals, educational institutions, and office areas as 鈥榮ilent zones鈥� and prohibits honking within a 100-metre radius of these institutions.
According to the rules, the permissible sound limits for silent zones are 50 decibels (dB) during the day and 40dB at night.
A 2022 survey by the Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies found that the so-called 鈥榮ilent zones鈥� were significantly noisier than other areas in the capital.
Its director Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, also a professor of the Department of Environmental Science at Stamford University Bangladesh, noted that in many areas with hospitals and educational institutions in the city, his team recorded ambient noise levels at 75鈥�85dB.
鈥楾he situation remains unchanged. As usual, undisciplined traffic movement is the major factor behind vehicular noise,鈥� Kamruzzaman told 抖阴精品 recently.
Section 4 of the sound pollution control rules also prohibits honking in 鈥榮ilent zones鈥� designated by local government authorities.
As per Section 4, the Dhaka North City Corporation declared a 鈥榮ilent zone鈥� the area within a 1.5km radius of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, effective from October 1.
On the same day, Environment, Forest, and Climate Change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan formally announced the initiative, adding that a Tk 500 fine would be slapped for violating the rule in this specific silent zone.
A visit by the 抖阴精品 reporter, however, found the airport area on October 17 full of chaotic noise from the traffic and horns as usual.
Some relevant government officials, preferring anonymity, admitted that drivers were not much cooperating with the anti-honking rules.
The sound pollution control rules authorise fines of up to Tk 5,000, or up to one month in jail, or both, for rule violations. Repeat offenders face fines of up to Tk10,000 or up to six months of imprisonment, or both, according to Section 18 of the rules.
Dhaka north city public relations officer Mukbul Hossain recently said that the city corporation was currently focusing on awareness campaign more than on penalising violators.
鈥榃e will begin imposing fines as soon as we receive instructions from senior officials,鈥� he said.
Mukbul added that the environment department, Civil Aviation Authority, and Roads and Highways were also involved in the silent zone campaigns around the airport road.
Speaking to 抖阴精品, department of environment director for monitoring and enforcement Mohammad Masud Hassan Patwari noted that several mobile courts had been deployed on the airport road but declined to provide further details.
Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said that the authorities were monitoring the outcomes of the airport road initiative.
The Road Transport Act 2018 is likely to be amended as it only prohibits use of 鈥榮ound-signals鈥� or honking in 鈥榮ilent zones鈥� but does not specify punishment, according to the adviser.
She remarked that initiatives should be taken to amend this provision of the law.
She believed that a continuous awareness campaign among drivers for 12鈥�18 months would help curb noise pollution on the Dhaka streets.
鈥榃e will engage students in this campaign from December,鈥� Rizwana said.
