Beyond the parliament glitch: Bangladesh’s acoustic crisis

Last year, I received a call from a five-star hotel in Banani. The general manager, a Sri Lankan national, had obtained my contact through a technical reference. He was concerned about repeated guest complaints regarding noise disturbances in their rooms and requested a site visit.

I visited the hotel with my team and quickly identified the issue. The problem was not mechanical noise, but poor acoustic planning. The restaurant and bar had inadequate acoustic treatment, allowing high-volume music and live performances to transmit both vertically and horizontally into guest rooms above and below. Measurements confirmed that sound was clearly travelling through the structure, disturbing occupants.

We briefed the general manager on our findings. He appreciated the assessment and even hosted us for dinner as a gesture of goodwill. He intended to move forward after discussing with the ownership. However, within a week, I learned that he had left the organisation for another role in India.

I followed up with the hotel’s engineering team and management. Surprisingly, there was little concern about the issue, despite ongoing complaints and visible business loss from unoccupied rooms. Months later, I managed to meet the chief engineer. He informed me that they had “solved” the problem by reducing the number of speakers and lowering the music volume.

This is not a solution. It is equivalent to treating a headache by cutting off the head. The root problem - poor acoustic design and inadequate sound system planning - remained unaddressed. The sound transmission issues still exist, and the audio system itself was far from professional.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case.

From my experience, more than 80 per cent of auditoriums, event halls, hotels, and even government facilities in Bangladesh suffer from similar issues. I recall being called to a government convention centre in Agargaon, a premium venue built with international support. The built-in sound system in the main hall was ineffective. Event organisers are forced to rent external sound systems to make the space usable. This defeats the purpose of having a world-class facility.

This widespread problem reflects a deeper issue: a lack of awareness, priority, and technical understanding of acoustics and sound system design.

Recent incidents, such as sound system disruptions in the National Parliament on March 12, should not be considered a surprise. A committee was formed to investigate, with a report expected by early April, but no meaningful update has surfaced. These recurring failures highlight systemic gaps rather than isolated technical faults.

In Bangladesh, it is still rare to see projects engaging dedicated acoustic consultants for building design or audio-visual systems. In contrast, in many developed countries, even residential buildings often involve acoustic professionals to ensure comfort, privacy, and compliance.

This gap becomes more critical in a city like Dhaka - one of the most densely populated cities in the world - where noise sources are continuously increasing due to construction, transportation, metro systems, and industrial activity. Excessive noise is not just an inconvenience; it is a public health issue. It contributes to hypertension, sleep disorders, stress, and long-term mental health problems.

To address this, we must act at multiple levels:

• Strengthen compliance with the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), especially acoustic design provisions
• Encourage mandatory acoustic review for major projects, particularly hotels, hospitals, auditoriums, and residential developments
• Promote professional sound system design, not just equipment installation
• Develop city-level noise mapping and management strategies
• Raise awareness among developers, engineers, and authorities about the importance of acoustics

Acoustic design is not a luxury. It is a necessity for comfort, productivity, and well-being.

If we continue to ignore it, we will keep facing the same problems - failed sound systems, dissatisfied users, and unhealthy living conditions. But if we take it seriously, we can build a quieter, healthier, and more sustainable urban environment for ourselves and future generations.

Now is the time to listen - not just to sound, but to the consequences of ignoring it.

The writer is an acoustic professional at Veneklasen Associates, Inc. (USA).