Desher Kaj
Horn-free hour, Dhaka
An hour at one junction with placards, asking drivers not to honk.
Area
Dhaka
People
8 people
Time
About 2 hours
Difficulty
Easy
About this task
Dhaka’s noise stays far above safe levels, even around hospitals and schools. One hour on the pavement of a busy junction, holding placards and asking drivers, with a smile, not to honk for nothing. The traffic police are told beforehand. No arguments, no stepping into the road.
Why it matters
At many junctions in Dhaka and Chattogram, sound levels sit well above what the World Health Organization advises. Years of loud noise cost hearing, raise blood pressure and break children’s attention. Under the 2006 noise pollution rules, the area around hospitals and schools is a silent zone where horns are banned.
What changes after
Drivers and passengers at the junction talk about horns; the video lets you compare horns before and during; a team is ready to do it again next month.
Who can join
Anyone who can stand for an hour. A good first task for college and university students.
Step by step
- 1Done
Make the placards60 min
Large letters on white boards: “Patience, not the horn”.
- 2Done
Tell the traffic police30 min
When, where and how many.
- 3Done
Stand for the hour60 min
On the pavement, not the road. Smiling, never arguing.
Checklist to get ready
- Placards · ৮টি
When it counts as done
- At least six people stood for the hour
Proof required: Photo, Video
⚠ Safety
Stay on the pavement, never in the road. Do not argue with a driver. Drink water; stand in the shade when you can.
What it costs
| White board or thick card | 8 | ৳60–120 |
| Thick black and red markers | 4 | ৳40–80 |
| Sticks and tape for the placards | 8 | ৳10–20 |
| Drinking water | 8 bottles | ৳20–30 |
| Total (about) | ৳880–1,700 | |
Getting ready, step by step
7 days before
Choose the junction: a wide pavement, ideally near a school or hospital.
Count the horns in 10 minutes at that hour and write it down.
3 days before
Visit the traffic box: when, where, how many.
Make the placards: big letters, few words.
The day before
Remind the team: stay on the pavement, no arguing.
Post a small sketch of who stands where.
On the day
Count horns for 10 minutes before, and 10 minutes during.
Take photos and short videos.
The week after
Report the two counts side by side.
Fix next month's date.
Who does what
- Lead (1): Talks to the police, keeps time, calls back anyone stepping into the road. — ____________
- Placard holders (5): Stand an arm's length in from the kerb and show the placard with a smile. — ____________
- Counting and video (1): Counts horns, takes photos and video. — ____________
- Talker (1): Explains politely to anyone who asks; talks with drivers at the rickshaw stand. — ____________
The day, hour by hour
- 07:30Gather, hand out placards, repeat the rules.
- 07:4510-minute horn count (before).
- 08:00Start standing, split across both pavements.
- 08:3010-minute horn count (during); drink water.
- 09:00End; team photo; thank the traffic box.
- 09:15Match up and record the counts.
What can go wrong, and what to do
- A driver is angry → Smile and step back, no argument. The lead comes over.
- A crowd or jam is building → Everyone moves back on the pavement; end early if needed.
- Someone feels ill in the heat → Sit them in the shade with water; if serious, call 999.
- Someone brings a political slogan or banner → Politely ask to put it away; the message is horns only.
Useful numbers
- 999National emergency: police, fire, ambulance (free)
Questions people ask
- Do we need police permission?
- Standing peacefully on the pavement needs none, but tell the nearest traffic box: they help, and nothing is misunderstood.
- What if a driver gets angry?
- Smile and step back. Our work is asking, not arguing.
- Can I join if I cannot stay the whole time?
- Yes. Say in your request which step or which hours you can do. The lead will give that step to you.