Can't take action

Right before the general election, some political parties and nomination seekers have begun pasting posters on the city's walls, defying a law prohibiting such acts.

Making 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 to Tk 50,000 or imprisonment from 15 to 30 days.

However, flouting the law, many political posters, mostly of the ruling Awami League men, can be seen from the stretch of Malibagh to Bangla Motor in the capital. Most are pasted on the pillars of Mouchak-Moghbazar flyover and on the walls of nearby building.

Contacted, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon said, “Right now, we cannot take any action. If we do, there will be mixed reactions from political leaders.

“Many of our party men paste posters which contain photos of Bangabandhu, our party chief, secretary and mine. These are thousands in number and out of our control. But we do not encourage them to do so.

“Different party political leaders are putting them up and if we try to remove them now, they will react.”

Asked about posters with his photos on them, he said that no one took his consent before pasting those.

 “If you ask me about political posters, I'll say we're helpless. We have nothing to do in this case. Political leaders need willingness to remove posters,” said Dhaka North City Corporation's (DNSCC) Chief Waste Management Officer Commodore M A Razzak.

He added that the late Annisul Huq had taken some steps to stop the practice but things became harder without him.

Mokhlesur Rahman, president of AL's Ramna and Hatirjheel unit, whose posters can also be seen in many areas, claimed to The Daily Star that he had nothing to do with putting them up.

“Some of the boys have put up those [posters]. They do it to make us happy,” he said, citing examples where some party men put up pictures with their superiors in order to please them.

Interestingly, most of the posters of Mokhlesur only contain pictures of him and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

He also added that although they do not give any money for the posters, they do pay to print some during special occasions, such as Eid, to send their greetings to their constituents.

A similar condition was seen in other places of the capital, including Mohakhali, Gabtoli, Mirpur, Malibagh, Moghbazar, Jatrabari, Motijheel, Segunbagicha, Gulistan, Paltan, Shantinagar and Khilgaon.

“They [candidate seekers] turn the city ugly….You cannot expect a good future from ugly minds,” said Md Khairuzzaman, an official of a private bank.

Wishing anonymity, a caretaker at a house in Moghbazar, said he hung a notice on their building's wall for not pasting posters, but to no avail.

“Look at the wall. How ugly it has been made,” the caretaker said, adding, “I used to tear off the posters, but it didn't stop. Besides, the posters are now of the local influential people. So, I gave up doing it.”

Under the relevant act, permission must be obtained from the Union Parishad and city corporation to poster 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 location 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, DSCC are yet to designate any areas.

Moktar Sarder, councillor of ward no-35, whose poster has also been seen at different places, said, “As far as I know, not only Moghbazar, no ward has such designated place for posters.”

“Our acting mayor [of DNCC] recently told us to remove all posters soon before announcing the election schedule. I have already given directives to do so,” added Moktar, also organising secretary of AL's Dhaka city north unit.

Taking a bold move, DNCC, in December 2017, cancelled the licences of six renowned coaching centres for violating its instruction by not removing their illegal banners, posters, festoons and signboards from the city's roads.

But the authority continues to overlook the posters of local political leaders, including those of their councillors.