About 68% of drivers in Bangladesh do not hear due to noise pollution: Environment Advisor, Bangladesh
Bangladesh is number one in noise and air pollution. About 68% of bus or truck drivers in this country do not hear. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Environment Advisor (Minister in Charge) of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), Bangladesh, has requested students’ support for the no-honking campaign that began in February.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan stated that Dhaka is the noisiest city in the world. “We are number one in noise pollution and air pollution.”
“About 68% of bus or truck drivers in Bangladesh do not hear. Instead of viewing success as an individual achievement, we should see it as a collective effort and acknowledge how racial privilege plays a role in it,” she mentioned. ‘Then I think success will not be far away.’
The advisor spoke at the certificate distribution ceremony for volunteers involved in the campaign against polythene and polypropylene shopping bags. The distribution ceremony was held at the office of the Department of Environment, Bangladesh, in Dhaka on February 2.
The environmental advisor stated, “Efforts to eliminate polythene have been underway since 2002.” Then when we started the work again in 2024.
Many people are encouraging us, many are wondering why the work is not being done immediately. They are getting a little impatient. We have to hear a lot of negative things. ‘This is not a problem.’
Syeda Rizwana told the students, “Haven’t you noticed how our fathers used to take jute sack bags to the market?”
“An argument has started in Bangladesh that there is no alternative. This is not right. Traditionally, alternatives to polythene have been used for a long time. ‘Our alternative is what our fathers used to buy.’
The advisor mentioned that raising awareness could lead to a halt in polythene use. They also noted that while workers in polythene production face inhumane conditions, factory owners remain silent about it.
They are criticizing the move to ban polythene because it hurts their interests. Before forbidding everyone from using polythene, they should stop using it themselves.’
Advising the students not to listen to negative criticism, the environmental advisor said, ‘We have to stand against it. The owners of the polythene factory have their own interests at stake.
When we are going to stop polythene production, we are facing obstacles not everywhere, but somewhere. We have discussed with the OC Traffic so that polythene is not produced in Dhaka and goes to other cities. ‘We have to do these things.’
She said, ‘We have only started working on polythene shopping bags. It has to be stopped in the interest of everyone. Otherwise, we will not be able to save our soil, rivers, lakes.’
The advisor noted a personal initiative to ban polythene, saying, “If offered a polythene bag in the market, you should refuse it.” Say, I brought the bag home. That can also be a way to implement it.’
Certificates were distributed to students from three educational institutions: Residential Model School, St. Joseph Higher Secondary School at Dhaka, and Banani Vidya Niketan at Dhaka, along with SOS Herman Meiner, Holy Cross, and Viqarunnisa School and College at Dhaka.
