A never-ending cycle of posters
Cleaners of both city corporations of Dhaka are putting extra labour into removing polls-time posters, but it seems residents are not getting a clean city anytime soon, as new posters and banners with congratulatory messages to elected MPs are replacing them.
“I thought it would be over after election but now new posters are being put up. The city will never get a break from this 'poster cycle',” said Lokman Hossain, a banker.
Within a day or two after the national election, several activists and supporters of Awami League put up posters with their names and photos at different establishments, congratulating the newly elected lawmakers.
Painting graffiti on walls or putting up posters on them beyond designated places is a punishable offence, according to the Graffiti Writing and Poster Sticking Control Act, 2012.
According to the act, violators will be punished with a fine between Tk 5,000 and Tk 50,000 or imprisonment for 15 to 30 days.
A resident of Lalbagh, Jubayer Ahmed, said, “They [people putting up the posters] care little about the cleanliness of this city. All they want is publicity.”
Under the relevant act, permission must be obtained from the union parishad and city corporation to put up posters at non-designated places.
The act has given the city corporations a mandate to designate places for posters.
For Dhaka north, there are 20 such areas adjacent to Uttara BDR Bazar, Jasimuddin Road, Kalshi Road, Shialbari, Rainkhola, Notun Bazar, Banasree, Taltola Market, Nayatola Shishu Park, Tolarbagh, NITOR, two locations near Farmgate's Ananda Cinema Hall, Mohammadpur Krishi Market, Mohadmmadpur Town Hall, Asad Gate, Khejur Bagan, Fertility Centre in Mohammadpur, Rayerbazar and Gulshan Shooting Club. However, Dhaka south is yet to designate any areas.
During the election, ruling party candidates put up masses of posters at their constituencies for publicity. Yesterday morning, this correspondent saw cleaners taking down overhead posters from different parts of Jatrabari.
Meanwhile, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon yesterday declared that they will remove all polls-time posters in 48-hours.
He kicked off the poster removal campaign from the road in front of Suritola Model Government Primary School in Old Dhaka.
Talking to The Daily Star over phone, Khokon said he had not found any congratulatory poster. “I'm yet to see any such poster. We'll complete our ongoing campaign in 48 hours. After that, we'll take necessary measures against those posters, if found,” he said.
Dhaka North City Corporation Panel Mayor Jamal Mostafa said they have already taken down 70 percent of the posters. “We should be done with removing all posters by tomorrow [today],” he said, adding that their cleaners have to put in extra labour to remove all these posters.
He called upon the political leaders and activists not to put up new posters. “This city belongs to everyone and keeping it clean is everyone's duty,” he said.
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