Bangladesh trains 1.39 lakh people to combat noise pollution

A total of 139,640 people have received awareness training on noise pollution under a government project aimed at reducing the harmful effects of excessive noise across the country.

From the beginning of the project in June 2025, the awareness programme covered people from various sectors of society, Farid Ahmed, director of DoE (Dhaka Metro) and project director, said.

Among them, he said, 50,000 are students, 72,200 transport drivers and workers, 8,140 government officials and employees, 1,920 factory and construction workers, 1,800 journalists, and 5,580 professionals, businesspeople, imams, teachers and representatives of non-governmental organisations.

A project official said 120 officers of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and 120 officers from Islamic Foundation have been provided ToT (Training of Trainers) under the project.

According to Farid, the trained people are now aware of noise pollution and they are making their family members and neighbours.

Like, he said, the trained students are creating awareness about noise pollution among their classmates and family members, while the imams are making their musullis (devotees) about it.

The Department of Environment (DoE) implemented the ‘Integrated and Participatory Project for Noise Pollution Control’ to lower urban sound levels. This nationwide initiative uses public campaigns, stakeholder training, silent zone designations, and mobile courts to curb excessive vehicle horns and environmental noise.

The project has identified awareness-building among these groups as one of its key activities, recognising their role in preventing and reducing noise pollution.

For the 2025–26 fiscal year, the BRTA had set a target of providing noise-awareness training to another 36,120 people, Farid Ahmed said.

The project has also undertaken extensive publicity and awareness campaigns to educate people about the harmful impacts of noise pollution and encourage responsible behaviour.

As part of the campaign, regular noise-awareness programmes are being broadcast on government and private television channels as well as radio.

Noise-awareness television commercials (TVCs), text messages and notices are also being disseminated through electronic and print media, mobile phones and social media platforms.

The project has further strengthened its public outreach through physical awareness materials. A total of 128 billboards and 210 signboards have been installed to promote noise-awareness messages.

In addition, 700,000 leaflets, 700,000 speaker materials and 1,000 training manuals have been printed and distributed.

Alongside awareness and publicity campaigns, mobile courts have been conducting enforcement drives across the country to curb noise pollution.

According to official data, about 2,500 mobile courts were conducted nationwide up to June 2026. Through 7,297 cases, authorities collected Tk 10,813,157 as fines and seized and destroyed 6,986 hydraulic horns.

The project also organised a number of public awareness initiatives. A “Silent Minute” was observed in Dhaka on October 15, 2023, as part of efforts to raise awareness about noise pollution.

Campaigns discouraging honking in designated silent areas have been implemented continuously since February 20, 2025.

The DoE has also organised programmes as part of the celebration of the “Youth Festival” to engage young people in environmental awareness activities.

Farid Ahmed said through training, mass-media campaigns, public outreach and enforcement, the project is seeking to build greater public awareness and encourage people to adopt behaviours that can help reduce noise pollution across Bangladesh.