Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Information and Broadcasting, and Water Resources Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Saturday said unnecessary honking must be stopped to control noise pollution, describing it as a long-standing bad habit that needs to be changed through law enforcement and public awareness.

She made the remarks while inaugurating a motor rally against honking, jointly organised by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), under the Integrated and Partnership-based Project for Noise Pollution Control.

The adviser said the Noise Pollution (Control) Regulations 2025 have already been gazetted, empowering both the DoE and police to take action against noise polluters. She added that several areas in Dhaka have been declared silent zones and monitoring must be strengthened.

Identifying unnecessary honking and fireworks as major sources of noise pollution, she said steps would be taken to ensure fireworks are set off only at designated places during Pahela Baishakh celebrations.

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With the slogan “No more noise pollution, let healthy life prevail”, the rally started from Manik Mia Avenue and ended at the DoE office in Agargaon after passing through Farmgate, Karwan Bazar and Bijoy Sarani.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed, Director General of the Department of Environment Dr Md Kamruzzaman, Additional Commissioner of DMP Md Sarwar, Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Md Anisur Rahman, Project Director of the Noise Pollution Control Project Farid Ahmed, and senior officials of the ministry, DoE and DMP were present at the event.

Under the project, mobile courts and awareness campaigns were conducted at 10 important points in Dhaka for 10 days from January 5 to curb noise pollution. The campaign concluded with the motor rally.

The campaign was supported by young student volunteers from Green Voice.