1.39 Lakh People Receive Noise Pollution Awareness Training

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 Bangladesh.

The awareness programme has covered people from various sectors of society since the project began in June 2025, said Farid Ahmed, director of the Department of Environment’s Dhaka Metro office and project director.

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

Under the project, 120 officers of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and 120 officers of the Islamic Foundation have also received Training of Trainers (ToT).

The trained participants are now helping spread awareness about noise pollution among their families, neighbours, colleagues and communities, Farid Ahmed said.

Students, for instance, are raising awareness among their classmates and family members, while imams are informing worshippers about the harmful effects of excessive noise.

The Department of Environment is implementing the “Integrated and Participatory Project for Noise Pollution Control” to reduce urban noise levels. The nationwide initiative includes public awareness campaigns, stakeholder training, silent-zone measures and mobile-court operations to curb excessive vehicle horns and other sources of environmental noise.

Building awareness among different sections of society is one of the project’s key activities, recognising their role in preventing and reducing noise pollution.

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

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

Regular noise-awareness programmes are being broadcast on government and private television channels and radio. Television commercials, text messages and notices are also being disseminated through electronic and print media, mobile phones and social media platforms.

The project has strengthened its public outreach through physical awareness materials, with 128 billboards and 210 signboards 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, around 2,500 mobile courts were conducted nationwide up to June 2026. They filed 7,297 cases, collected Tk10,813,157 in fines and seized and destroyed 6,986 hydraulic horns.

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

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

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

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