The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has declared a 100-metre radius around offices, courts, hospitals, clinics, educational institutions and similar establishments as “silent zones,” where honking is strictly prohibited.

According to the new regulation, sounding vehicle horns within these silent zones will be treated as a punishable offence. Violators may face a fine of up to Tk 10,000 or imprisonment for up to three months, or both.

The directive was issued through a notification signed by DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali.

The notification said that under the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules, 2025, enforcement will begin from February 3 in the Bangladesh Secretariat area. The restriction will apply to all surrounding and internal roads as well as parking areas of the Secretariat. The DMP traffic division will take immediate punitive action, including fines, against vehicles violating the rule.

To curb noise pollution, a coordinated drive involving mobile courts will be conducted in the Secretariat area. The drive will be carried out jointly by magistrates from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Dhaka South City Corporation, the Department of Environment and the DMP, in the presence of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

The DMP has urged all government and private vehicle drivers to strictly follow the Noise Pollution (Control) Rules, 2025 and refrain from using horns, particularly within the Bangladesh Secretariat premises.