DCC stumbles in billboard dismantling

Dhaka City Corporation in a drive last night dismantles a hoarding, set up illegally in front of Shahbagh police control room in the capital. The move comes after two people were killed as a poorly-mounted billboard collapsed on them during a storm at Gulshan on Monday. PHOTO: AMRAN HOSSAIN

The Dhaka City Corporation authorities were compelled to halt their drive for dismantling illegal hoardings within one hour of its start at Shahbag intersection last night in absence of police protection.
DCC Magistrate Khalilur Rahman, who led the drive, said two platoons of police were deployed under him to ensure security of his team while they were conducting the drive in front of Shahbag police control room.
Instead, the police personnel barred the DCC officials and its workers from removing illegal hoardings, he alleged.
At one stage, the police personnel without taking his permission left the scene around 10:30pm, he added.
The DCC team, which was scheduled to dismantle 13 illegal billboards in front of the police control room last night, removed only two hoardings.
Sirajul Islam, chief town planner of DCC, told The Daily Star that the DCC has set a target to remove all illegal hoardings from the city within three months.
The DCC team along with over 50 workers, one bulldozer, two cranes and other equipments started the drive, he said adding that Dhaka Metropolitan Police authority illegally leased out the space for billboards in front of the police control room.
DMP Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haque said the DMP authority has leased out its space in front of the control room for the hoardings.
If DCC had served notice earlier, DMP authorities might have taken steps accordingly, he added.
The DCC gave permission to set up only 1,370 hoardings but several thousand illegal billboards have been mounted across the city, Sirajul Islam of DCC said.