By Khandaker Badiuzzaman Bulbul

Another year has come to an end almost before we noticed, and in just a few hours the new year will arrive. People's hopes for the new year are sky-high, and the whole country will be caught up in the festive mood, the young generation included. But the way of welcoming the year that has taken hold in the country in recent years is, in a word, frightening. The moment the clock strikes 12:01, the surroundings shake with the deafening noise of fireworks, which goes on almost all night. Celebrations like this cause terrible fear among ordinary people.

While the city welcomes the English new year with the blast of fireworks, the opposite picture can also be seen. On one side of the city people are busy with colourful lights and loud bangs; on the other, the homeless huddle against the cold for the night, gripped all night by dread and silence. Birds resting on buildings or tree branches panic at the noise and light and fly off in all directions. At midnight, with war-like explosions and the sparks of fireworks, many birds lose their lives. Dogs and cats, running about in fear, are crushed under vehicles and die. It is heartbreaking, and it harms not only animals but people too.

The sound level humans can tolerate is generally 45-50 decibels, but the high-frequency firecrackers set off on Thirty-First Night exceed 90 to 120 decibels. Statistics show that hospital admissions of heart patients rise alarmingly on this night. For newborn babies in particular, it is a major trauma.

On the night of 31 December 2021, a four-month-old baby, Tanzim Umayer, fell ill from the deafening noise of fireworks and died. In welcoming 2026, we do not want to empty another mother's arms. The elderly and children also suffer greatly on this night, and for people with heart disease, breathing problems or high blood pressure it is a night of long sighs.

Smoke from fireworks raises the levels of sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide in the air, which can be fatal for asthma patients. Sky lanterns are also flown on this night, which is not safe at all: their flames can set trees, straw or slums on fire. On Thirty-First Night in 2022, fireworks and sky lanterns caused nearly a hundred fires, bringing heavy losses at the very start of the new year.

Sadly, for a moment's pleasure we are breaking the country's laws and causing people suffering, and none of us pays it any attention. As aware citizens we should know that under the Sound Pollution (Control) Rules 2006, setting off fireworks and firecrackers without permission is a punishable offence, carrying imprisonment and fines. Yet the administration takes little action.

We will certainly welcome the new year, but lawfully. We can welcome it in a friendly atmosphere by avoiding ways that cause public suffering or animal deaths. The administration must also go beyond press releases and ensure the law is properly enforced, and drives against the sale and stockpiling of illegal fireworks are urgent before Thirty-First Night. The public, too, must become aware, so that our celebration does not become someone else's sigh.

The writer is a student at Ananda Mohan College, Mymensingh.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.