OVERSIZED illegal billboards raised at many city cross points by government and private organizations have become a cause for concern for safety of city dwellers. As the stormy season is already around the corner, city dwellers’ safety must be high on the agenda of the two city corporations. This is high time we believe to remove those big billboard structures to make the citizens’ life safe. As we see the way many billboards have been put at city corners, they look like potential death traps in the event a nor’wester hits the city any time. Their steel structures often fell on pedestrians or vehicles to cause death, damage and injuries. Major city crossings or divider-islands are focal point of small and big billboards to sneak public attention. In many cases vested interest quarters are using them for publicity to hail political leaders, register loyalty to party bosses, highlight government achievements in attaining economic development etc.
The use of city corners for cheaper publicity is going unabated over the years and despite bringing the dangers to the notice of the concerned authorities, and the destruction to city beauty, no effective remedial measure is at work. Business firms have also put the billboards often without authorization of the city corporations. We see, when a big storm hits the city, the cry for evicting the billboard only draws public attention and then it passes unheeded again.
In the past few weeks several big storms have already hit many city points damaging property around and threatening public safety. Experts held the view that if the city is hit by 100 km/h strong wind, there is a strong possibility of massive casualties from billboards collapse. We would therefore like to take the matter to the attention of the city mayors and other authorities concerned hoping that they would take eviction drives soon to remove illegal billboards from city corners. We want both the safety of our citizens’ life and restoration of the beauty of the city from unnecessary obstructions.
We know that the two city corporations in metropolis Dhaka have several thousand designated spaces to put billboards and such other commercial signs. They have specifications for height and width and at what height they may be posted. They have also standard rules including the rates of payment, but they are not obeyed. As per rules, individuals take rent of the advertisement space but since most of the people taking lease of the space come from powerful political quarters, they refrain from making full payment to the city corporations. Contrary to it, they take the lease at a very low cost virtually taking away all benefits.
We would like to see that the city corners have been properly protected and freed from illegal signs and billboards and hope that the authorities would remove the illegal objects soon.
