The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has designated a 1.5km radius around the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka as a “silent zone” to control noise pollution.
The announcement came on Sunday, says a press release issued by DNCC Public Relations Officer Mokbul Hossain.
The designated zone stretches from Scholastica School to Hotel Le Méridien, covering both the northern and southern sides of the airport.
This decision aligns with Rule 4 of the Noise Pollution Control Rules, 2006, and aims to reduce noise levels in the vicinity of the airport. The regulation will come into effect starting October 1.
Following the decision, the airport area will be horn-free as no vehicles will be allowed to honk there.
From October 1, mobile courts will operate at three key-locations along the designated route for seven days. These courts will enforce the no-horn rule, with magistrates supported by traffic police, volunteers, students, and representatives from transport associations.
On September 10, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Affairs, announced that the surrounding areas of the Dhaka airport will be declared as a ‘silent zone’ soon.
“Measures will be taken to make surrounding areas stretching one kilometre north and one kilometre south of the airport ‘horn-free’ since no vehicles will be allowed to use horn while passing these neighbouring areas of the airport from October 1,” she had said.
The ‘Silent Zone’ initiative has been taken as a part of a broader effort by the interim government to reduce both noise and environmental pollution in and around the airport.
