When walking out the door, your senses are probably immediately overwhelmed, as if under attack. The sound of horns and constructions leave you with a ringing in your ears. The smell of patrol is permanent in the air, leaving you nauseous. You probably begin playing a game of sidestepping spit and trash along your way to your destination.
This is a typical day in Dhaka city.
On the surface, the unbearable sounds and dirt are palpable, but impact runs deeper than irritation. Hearing loss, cardiovascular and respiratory issues, tinnitus, and cancer, are a few health issues tied to pollution.
On the occasion of World Environment Day, June 5, it is worth taking a look at Dhaka, the 16th most polluted city in the world. In 2022, a UN Environment Programme report ranked Dhaka as the world’s noisiest city with 119 db; Rajshahi ranked fourth with 103 db.
Fahmida Najnin, environmental activist and co-ordinator of Green Voice, states these noise levels severely impact human health.
“High noise levels can disrupt focus, be it in the office or school. People can develop insomnia, hypertension and cardiovascular issues due to noise pollution as well,” shared Najnin. High noise levels can trigger our body’s stress response, releasing adrenaline and cortisol, leading to high blood pressure.
According to Green Voice’s research, locations such as Shahbagh, Gulshan 2, Paltan, Khamarbari are among some of the noisiest locations in Dhaka.
Since 2005, Green Voice has been actively raising public awareness about environmental issues in Bangladesh through various action-oriented and educational campaigns. Today, the organisation has around 7,000 members across the country.
In fact, after last year’s July Uprising, they resumed activities, peacefully raising awareness about noise pollution. In October 2024, Green Voice took to the streets to protest against the incessant noise pollution of vehicles, holding a banner urging people to not use their horns needlessly.
The interesting aspect was that the protestors walked silently. In the busiest intersections that see loud, road-blocking protests every other week, it was almost odd seeing a group of silent protestors.
“We are protesting noise pollution, that is why we take a noiseless approach to the problem with our protests,” shared Najnin – emphasising that noise cannot be fought with noise.
She continues, “We take on a peaceful, silent approach because we want to send a message to the government through our protests, and work with them, not work against them.”
While in general, their efforts are received well by the public, some, especially the elderly deem many of the activities as a nuisance or useless, according to Najnin. This attitude stems from the invisible and intangible impact of noise pollution. Just like Green Voice, other organisations such as BD Clean have also stepped up, but they use a slightly different approach.
Where Green Voice advocates through protests, seminars, and school campaigns, BD Clean is more action-oriented. They hold weekly projects to clean parks and streets, with bigger projects including canal cleanups.
“The spaces BD Clean works on are public spaces, and it is the duty of the citizens to keep these spaces clean,” shared Jahirul Islam Robi, Chief Coordinator of BD Clean.
According to Robi, BD Clean’s action-oriented projects are demonstrations in themselves.
“We set an example for the public by doing the work ourselves, proving to locals they do not have to wait for others to see change – they can be the change themselves.” Members are not financially compensated, but are regular people who care for the environment. You can even see members as young as class six students.
The reason BD Clean’s big projects mostly focus on canals is because they have a huge hand in making cities more livable, especially when it comes to rain-prone areas like Dhaka. However, the River and Delta Research Centre reports Dhaka’s canals have reduced by 120 km between 1940 and 2023, due to poorly planned urbanisation and encroachment.
Most lost canals are now occupied by structures and streets; only 18.92% is farmland, while 30.39% are wetlands or filled.
When BD Clean works on big projects, they collaborate with the city corporation to receive assistance in disposing waste or for medical help.
“When we were working on a canal project in Faridpur, we collaborated with the interim government and received insurance from different public hospitals that would treat our members in the case they fell ill,” shared Robi.
However, they emphasise that no monetary benefits are taken from these collaborations as their organisation is entirely voluntary. “We try to prevent situations like that in the first place by providing members with basic medication and hygiene equipment.”
For regular projects, the organization funds gloves, face masks, and hair and shoe nets for volunteers, which are funded by the members themselves.
In contrast, Green Voice does not receive government or police assistance, despite acknowledging it would strengthen their cause.
The work doesn’t end when the project ends, though. On the occasion when BD Clean collaborates with the government, their terms always include following up with the location, regularly checking spots to ensure they stay clean.
Furthermore, Green Voice will also test the noise levels of the protested locations to measure the impact.
What these organisations have in common is that they are made up of ordinary people. During the week, they work or go to school, and by the weekend, they become activists, fighting for the environment.
In a country where change feels impossible, especially for the environment, these activists have taken matters into their own hands instead of waiting for someone to take the lead.
“Though we do not make decisions on a policy level, we want our work to make policy-level changes,” concluded Najnin.