Prime Minister Orders Stringent Measures to Curb Capital Traffic Noise

DHAKA — Prime Minister Tariq Rahman has directed law enforcement agencies to enforce strict measures against the excessive use of vehicular horns in the capital. The directive was issued during a high-level coordination meeting on environmental pollution held at the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday, where comprehensive strategies to combat air and noise pollution were discussed.

The Prime Minister emphasised the urgent need to implement effective measures to curb atmospheric pollution stemming from brick kilns, urging a swift transition towards eco-friendly alternative technologies in construction material manufacturing. The convention brought together top bureaucrats, cabinet members, and law enforcement chiefs to address Dhaka’s deteriorating environmental indicators.

Technological Interventions in Urban Traffic Management

A significant portion of the high-level meeting focused on modernising the capital’s chaotic traffic ecosystem. Amid rising concerns over noise pollution, the committee discussed the potential deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to detect and penalise drivers violating honking bans. This system would function similarly to the automated AI cameras currently utilised across the metropolis for tracking speed and lane compliance.

To alleviate the city’s persistent gridlock and lower vehicle emissions, the Prime Minister ordered the rapid activation of the automated traffic light system at a minimum of 50 key intersections across Dhaka. Furthermore, the premier instructed transport authorities to take immediate, effective steps to remove unfit, expired, and heavily polluting buses, trucks, and other commercial vehicles from the capital’s arterial roads.

Collaborative Enforcement and Top-Level Attendance

The administration underscored that improving air quality and reducing auditory stress requires synchronised operations between the environmental ministry, municipal corporations, and the metropolitan police. Law enforcement agencies were explicitly told that leniency would no longer be tolerated regarding fitness certificates and illegal hydraulic horns.

The meeting was attended by a cohort of senior officials, including the Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Abdul Awal Mintu; Minister of State Sheikh Faridul Islam; Minister of State for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad; and the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr Saimum Parvez.

Representing city administration and law enforcement were the Administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation, Mohammad Abdus Salam; the Administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation, Mohammad Shafiqul Islam Khan; Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed; and Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) Mohammad Anisur Rahman, alongside various top-tier secretaries from relevant ministries.