/ Silent zones in Dhaka: A dream come true or just more noise?

Noise pollution has a long history of negative effects on the general population, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and neurological disorders. Needless to say, Dhaka city folks are constantly suffering in the midst of chaos owing to all the road and car noises.
For that reason, the ‘Silent Zone’ initiative is a giant leap forward in the fight against these problems. On 1 October, 2024, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, initiated the ‘Silent Zone’ program, with hopes that the problem of noise pollution from relentless traffic vehicle horns would be dealt with in gradual stages.
For horn-free zones, the three-kilometre area around Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport was made official. Moreover, in order to reduce noise pollution, the program will start by targeting certain regions, then spread to the whole of Dhaka, and finally, even divisional cities will join in.
In light of such an initiative, we spoke to people of different walks of life around the city to find out what they had to say about this action and their expectations for the future.

 
Some identities have been altered to preserve the anonymity of individuals.