DHAKA, Oct 1, 2024 (BSS) - Adviser for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Syeda Rizwana Hasan today said to change the long-standing habit of playing horns, people will first be made aware against it and then strict enforcement of the law will be ensued.

"Initially, the initiative will focus on key areas, then it will be expanded gradually to cover the entire Dhaka city, and eventually, divisional cities will also implement measures to curb noise pollution," she said at an event held at the headquarters of the Civil Aviation Authority in Kurmitola here.

At the event, the three-kilometer-long area around Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) was declared 'Silent Zone', and the programme to make the area horn-free was officially inaugurated, a ministry press release said.

Mentioning that launching of the initiative is itself a success, the environment adviser said that her vehicle does not use the horn and hoped that all drivers will be encouraged to avoid playing horns.

She added that the renewal of driving licenses will include a condition prohibiting the use of horns.

"A fine of Taka 500 will be imposed for the first offense. Mistakes will be reviewed during October and November, and from December, the fines will be strictly enforced," she warned.

Rizwana said noise pollution poses a serious threat to public health, leading to heart disease, high blood pressure and neurological disorders.

In a city like Dhaka, continuous honking is reducing people's hearing ability, she said.

That is why, the adviser said, the 'Silent Zone' programme is a groundbreaking step toward reducing noise pollution.

She thanked everyone involved in the initiative and hoped that similar programmes would be implemented in other parts of the country.

Nasrin Jahan, secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism; Air Vice Marshal Md. Manzur Kabir Bhuiyan, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh; Tapan Kumar Biswas, additional secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change; and Dr. Abdul Hamid, director general of the Department of Environment; among others, were present on the occasion.

A colourful rally was brought out from the event.

Key organisations participating in the initiative included the Civil Aviation Authority, Dhaka North City Corporation, BRTA, Department of Environment, Bangladesh Air Force and Bangladesh Police.

Additionally, representatives from NGOs like Green Voice and CAPS, as well as students, journalists, and professionals from various fields, actively participated in it.