Today, on Sunday, the government observed a one-minute silence in the Dhaka metropolis. The program lasted from 10 a.m. to 10:01 a.m. The program was observed as part of an awareness campaign to protect people from the harmful effects of noise pollution.
On Thursday, the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Farhana Ahmed, announced the program at a press conference at the Secretariat. The press conference said that the program would be observed as part of a noise awareness campaign called “Stop Noise Pollution, Observe a Minute of Silence.”
To make the program a success, human chains were formed at 11 important places in Dhaka city today. The places were in front of Osmani Memorial Hall, Shahbagh intersection, Uttara, Victory Road intersection, Mirpur-10 Golchattar, Gabtali, Mogbazar, Mohakhali, Gulshan-1, Kamalapur, Buddhist Temple and Jatrabari intersection.
The Secretary of the Environment said that one minute was not a big deal, the matter was to send a message. To send the message that it is a crime.
The Ministry of Environment says that noise pollution is a serious threat to public health. Excessive noise pollution can cause hearing loss, partial or complete deafness, heart disease, high blood pressure, insomnia, loss of concentration, and various mental problems, including the risk of premature abortion in pregnant women, and the birth of deaf or special needs children. The negative impact of noise pollution on the country’s human resources and overall growth (GDP) has been felt.
To protect the people of the country from the harmful effects of noise pollution, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is implementing a “Comprehensive and Partnership-Based Project to Control Noise Pollution.” The project will provide awareness training to drivers, factory and construction workers, government and non-government employees, journalists, professionals, businessmen, imams, teachers, students, and representatives of non-governmental organizations.
