S M Mizanur Rahman :
All illegal and risky billboards mostly containing pictures of political leaders hung on roads and highways indiscriminately across the country would be removed shortly.
“A massive eviction drive will be launched against all illegal and risky billboards throughout the country from September,” Road Transport and Bridges Minister
Obaidul Quader told this reporter at Tongi in Gazipur district on Saturday.
On Saturday morning, the Road Transport and Bridges Minister said this while inspecting Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway ahead of holy Eid-ul-Fitr.
He termed the billboards as fresh sufferings and disturbance, saying people are exposed to serious risks of fatal accidents and those sometimes cause the drivers to lose their concentration on driving due to mushroom growth of billboards.
“The most of the billboards are containing political parties’ leaders of all levels and extortionists together. It is very unfortunate for all of us. We are going hard on them,” Obaidul Quader said.
He said eviction drive on national and regional highways would be launched to reclaim the occupied spaces and thus ease traffic movement also.
Gigantic and illegal billboards erected throughout the country, including capital Dhaka, other metropolitan cities and towns by government and private organisations, are becoming concern for the city dwellers, posing a death trap during storms.
The haphazard billboards along with their steel support structures often fell on pedestrians and vehicles during strong wind and storm, causing untold damage, injuries and even death.
In capital city, an official of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) said it has about 900 legal billboards against some 1,500 illegal ones including privately owned 527.
In Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), there are about 1,500 legal billboards against some 1,200 illegal ones.
Of those illegal in the DNCC, 257 were permitted by the Cantonment Board, 173 by the Air Force, 147 by the Bangladesh Railway, 10 by Dhaka WASA and 22 by Bangladesh Police, while 443 are owned by private citizens, according to an official of DNCC.
According to official figures, the DSCC owns 201 billboards, 198 mini pole, and 235 mega billboards, while 527 billboard-spaces are individually-owned.
DNCC owns 543 billboards, 475 electricity poles used for advertisement, 250 mega signboards, 190 mini poles and 30 passenger shades used for advertisement.
Sources in both the DNCC and DSCC said, prior permission from the city corporations is a must for erecting billboards. Besides, it is also mandatory to take the approval of a structural design, drawn by a member of the Institute of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB), from the city corporations.
But in most of the cases, companies or individuals do not abide by the city corporations’ rules during installation of billboards, putting people’s lives and property at risk.
As many billboards are erected illegally using political influence, both the city corporations and the law enforcing agencies, are helpless to stop it, DSCC official alleged.
According to the existing billboard policy, the maximum height of a billboard will not exceed 40 feet from the surface, while the size of billboards will be the same on the VIP roads running between Bangabhaban and Airport via Dainik Bangla Fakirerpool Kakrail mosque Sheraton Farmgate-Mohakhali and Banani crossings.
All illegal and risky billboards mostly containing pictures of political leaders hung on roads and highways indiscriminately across the country would be removed shortly.
“A massive eviction drive will be launched against all illegal and risky billboards throughout the country from September,” Road Transport and Bridges Minister
Obaidul Quader told this reporter at Tongi in Gazipur district on Saturday.
On Saturday morning, the Road Transport and Bridges Minister said this while inspecting Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway ahead of holy Eid-ul-Fitr.
He termed the billboards as fresh sufferings and disturbance, saying people are exposed to serious risks of fatal accidents and those sometimes cause the drivers to lose their concentration on driving due to mushroom growth of billboards.
“The most of the billboards are containing political parties’ leaders of all levels and extortionists together. It is very unfortunate for all of us. We are going hard on them,” Obaidul Quader said.
He said eviction drive on national and regional highways would be launched to reclaim the occupied spaces and thus ease traffic movement also.
Gigantic and illegal billboards erected throughout the country, including capital Dhaka, other metropolitan cities and towns by government and private organisations, are becoming concern for the city dwellers, posing a death trap during storms.
The haphazard billboards along with their steel support structures often fell on pedestrians and vehicles during strong wind and storm, causing untold damage, injuries and even death.
In capital city, an official of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) said it has about 900 legal billboards against some 1,500 illegal ones including privately owned 527.
In Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), there are about 1,500 legal billboards against some 1,200 illegal ones.
Of those illegal in the DNCC, 257 were permitted by the Cantonment Board, 173 by the Air Force, 147 by the Bangladesh Railway, 10 by Dhaka WASA and 22 by Bangladesh Police, while 443 are owned by private citizens, according to an official of DNCC.
According to official figures, the DSCC owns 201 billboards, 198 mini pole, and 235 mega billboards, while 527 billboard-spaces are individually-owned.
DNCC owns 543 billboards, 475 electricity poles used for advertisement, 250 mega signboards, 190 mini poles and 30 passenger shades used for advertisement.
Sources in both the DNCC and DSCC said, prior permission from the city corporations is a must for erecting billboards. Besides, it is also mandatory to take the approval of a structural design, drawn by a member of the Institute of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB), from the city corporations.
But in most of the cases, companies or individuals do not abide by the city corporations’ rules during installation of billboards, putting people’s lives and property at risk.
As many billboards are erected illegally using political influence, both the city corporations and the law enforcing agencies, are helpless to stop it, DSCC official alleged.
According to the existing billboard policy, the maximum height of a billboard will not exceed 40 feet from the surface, while the size of billboards will be the same on the VIP roads running between Bangabhaban and Airport via Dainik Bangla Fakirerpool Kakrail mosque Sheraton Farmgate-Mohakhali and Banani crossings.
