Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday directed the authorities to step up action against air and noise pollution, including tougher enforcement against polluting vehicles, brick kilns and excessive use of horns.
He issued the directives while chairing a meeting on environmental pollution at the Prime Minister’s Office, according to a press release issued by the PM’s Press Wing.
The meeting discussed measures to reduce air and noise pollution nationwide, with particular focus on improving environmental conditions in Dhaka.
The prime minister instructed the authorities to curb pollution from brick kilns and promote environmentally friendly technologies in brick production.
He also directed law enforcement agencies to strengthen action against unnecessary honking in the capital.
The meeting discussed the possible use of artificial intelligence to monitor and control horn use, similar to the AI-based camera system being introduced for traffic management.
Tarique also stressed the need to quickly remove unfit, expired and highly polluting buses, trucks and other vehicles from Dhaka’s roads.
He instructed the authorities to install automatic traffic signals at at least 50 more locations in the capital as soon as possible to improve traffic management and ease congestion.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad and the prime minister’s Special Assistant on Environment, Forest and Climate Change Saimum Parvez attended the meeting.
Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md Abdus Salam, Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, Additional Commissioner for Traffic Md Anisur Rahman and senior officials from different ministries and agencies were also present.
