Photo credit: Bryon Lippincott licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
The United News of Bangladesh reports that the Department of Environment there has designated three areas there as silent zones. Two are around hospitals and the other around a law school. According to the Noise Pollution (Control) 2006 rules, no horns are allowed in silent zones. Fines range from 5,000 Bangladeshi Taka, or roughly $58.40 U.S., for the first offense to 10,000 Bangladeshi Taka, or $116.80, for the second offense, with jail time possible.
I haven’t been to Bangladesh, but I’ve visited nearby India twice. In the large cities horn use is both ubiquitous and continuous in the heavy urban traffic, and I imagine Bangladesh is similar.
Having a noise control law on the books is one thing. The Bangladeshi law was passed in 2006. Enforcing it is more difficult.
We wish the Bangladeshi authorities luck.
