I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed on the eve of New Year. Interestingly, I noticed numerous Facebook posts related to awareness about New Year celebrations.
These posts were advocating for a New Year free of fireworks, crackers, and sky lanterns. Even a human chain was formed in front of the National Press Club, demanding a noise and hazard-free celebration.
After witnessing these awareness activities, I became optimistic, thinking that we were going to have a quieter New Year.
Moreover, on the eve of New Year, last Saturday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) issued a 14-point directive for city-dwellers to strictly adhere to. These directives included a ban on fireworks, crackers, and lanterns.
Unfortunately, despite these awareness calls and police directions, a horrific scene unfolded on the night of 31 December.
However, by using fireworks, crackers, and lanterns in New Year celebrations, we ultimately break our noble promises at the very beginning of the New Year. For the sake of law, humanity, and the environment, we must stop using fireworks, crackers, and sky lanterns in celebrations.
Many people started celebrating New Year’s Eve with fireworks, crackers, and sky lanterns, continuing into the early hours of Monday.
In this awkward situation, many helpless Dhaka city dwellers expressed their frustration on Facebook. Victims described their horrific experiences, with some mentioning sick patients suffering in the noisy environment.
In many areas of Dhaka city, residents spent the night without sleep due to continuous and unbearable noise. Small children became scared, and even pet animals, like cats, were frightened.
It is reported that, in this terrifying situation, hundreds of people made complaint calls to the national emergency hotline 999.
According to a Prothom Alo report, from 10 PM on 31 December to 12 PM on 1 January, the hotline received 971 calls nationwide, two and a half times more than in 2023. More than 24 per cent of the total complaints came from Dhaka city alone.
Moreover, during this celebration time, air pollution increased by 35 per cent, according to local researchers.
As a result of the huge sound and pollution, more than 100 birds of four species died in Dhaka city alone on New Year's Eve night, according to the Bangladesh Bird Club.
In many occasions, we see the use of fireworks, crackers, and sky lanterns for celebrations, which may bring joy to some people.
However, looking at the broader picture, these items pose hazards for humans—especially for the elderly, sick, and children—and hazards for the environment. These items can also cause unexpected deadly accidents.
The sad thing is that festive people blatantly forget about the deep impact of these elements of celebration.
Every citizen of this country has the right to live in a decent environment—a right recognized by the constitution. Therefore, everyone should be careful to uphold this right.
Every year, before the eve of New Year, we set resolutions. In these resolutions, someone wants to be a good human being, someone promises not to harm others, etc.
However, by using fireworks, crackers, and lanterns in New Year celebrations, we ultimately break our noble promises at the very beginning of the New Year. For the sake of law, humanity, and the environment, we must stop using fireworks, crackers, and sky lanterns in celebrations.