Dhaka, Nov. 25 -- The government has issued a sweeping set of noise-control regulations that fix daytime and night-time sound limits by area type, replacing the 2006 rules and introducing penalties of up to two years' imprisonment for violations.

The environment ministry published the gazette on Tuesday, formally enforcing the new Noise Pollution Control Rules after a full overhaul of the previous framework.

The revised regulations set out detailed decibel ceilings, prohibitions on specific devices, and strict limits on the use of loudspeakers, especially during election campaigns.

Under the rules, the period from 6am to 9pm is designated as "daytime", while 9pm to 6am is defined as "night-time". Standards have been fixed for what cons...