WE know music is an art form and cultural activity. It is also an important part of people’s way of life, as it plays a key role in religious rituals, rite of passage ceremonies, and socio-cultural activities. And no doubt, music helps to make a person more human. But what we saw in the city’s Gopibagh was an opposite form of music. The music listeners did not hesitate to kill an elderly sick man when he asked to play the music in a low volume.
According to newspaper report, general secretary of flat owners association Altaf Hossain on his nephew’s ‘halud night’ [a pre-marriage occasion] arranged a party at the rooftop community hall with playing music in a high volume. Another resident of the building Najmul Haque, a retired government official who had suffered a heart attack a few days ago, was feeling uneasy with the extreme sound. The caretaker of the apartment building misbehaved with his son Nasimul Haque when he requested to lower the volume referring to his father’s ill health.
The story is not ended here! Next morning Altaf Hossain along with his gang attacked Nasimul Haque to take revenge of previous night’s altercation. Not only that, they also beat his father Najmul Haque, mother, sister and wife when they came to the spot to save Nasimul. Severely injured Najmul, 65, died on the way to hospital.
We have no such words to express the severity and rudeness of the incident. It is highly condemnable. We are also astonished seeing that those who were responsible for disturbing people by making noise pollution, they instead of being shameful attacked the next-door neighbours. It cannot be an ideal attitude of song-listeners. It is noteworthy that sound pollution is not only an aggravation, but also a serious health risk, as exposure to high level of noise damages hearing. Besides, the noise pollution increases stress and blood pressure, causes trouble in sleeping and concentrating, and leads to a bad temper.
We have no such words to express the severity and rudeness of the incident. It is highly condemnable. We are also astonished seeing that those who were responsible for disturbing people by making noise pollution, they instead of being shameful attacked the next-door neighbours. It cannot be an ideal attitude of song-listeners. It is noteworthy that sound pollution is not only an aggravation, but also a serious health risk, as exposure to high level of noise damages hearing. Besides, the noise pollution increases stress and blood pressure, causes trouble in sleeping and concentrating, and leads to a bad temper.
Country’s existing law does not permit to play music using high-capacity sound boxes, especially in the residential area at midnight. But in many parts of Dhaka city, the WHO allowable maximum level of noise, above which people are harmed, is regularly exceeded.
Our police are not made aware that laws of civil convenience should also be enforced by them. Noisy music is disturbing for civil life. In residential areas noisy celebration should not be allowed. The people get no help if police are contacted to stop this.
