SM Mizanur Rahman :Many political and illegal billboards are still on display on both sides of the city roads though the deadline to remove all those was December 31.In December last year, two mayors–Annisul Huq of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Sayeed Khokon of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC)-declared that capital would be completely free from political and illegal billboards by year end.But the political billboards, posters, banners and festoons with photos of leaders and workers of ruling Awami League and even the mayors Sayeed Khokon and Annisul Huq are still on display.Prior to the eviction drive on December 17 last year, Mayor Sayeed Khokon said that all the billboards, banners and festoons would be removed within 72 hours.When contacted, Chief Executive Officer of DSCC Khan Mohammad Bilal said, they are facing extreme difficulties in removing the political and illegal billboards from the city. “We have been conducting drives against illegal billboards regularly. As soon as we remove the billboards in daytime, a vested quarter installs those at night,” he said.Talking to The New Nation, DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq claimed on Thursday that out of twenty thousand billboards in his area fifty only could not be removed. “We have removed a total of 19950 political and illegal billboards from the north city. We could not remove fifty billboards only as these have been installed in the areas of the Armed Forces,” he said.He said the remaining fifty will be removed soon. “On the other hand, owners of buildings requested me to give them time to remove the billboards installed on the rooftops,” he said. He claimed, it is quite impossible now to display any new advertisements by installing illegal billboards right now. “After the removal of the billboards, the places are being occupied overnight for installing billboards again. But we are alert at night to take stern action against those involved in installing political and illegal billboards,” Annisul Huq. “We can sentence an illegal billboard owner to jail, or impose fines, or to do both. We have already blacklisted the illegal billboard owners. They won’t get permission forever,” he said.An official of DSCC said, the removal of illegal, political and risky billboards drive undertaken by the both city corporations has been stopped due to influence of powerful quarters and other procedural complexities. “Actually it is very difficult task for us to remove the illegal and political billboards from the city roads as an influential quarter blessed by the ruling party men,” he said. Apart from the billboards, many of the iron structures are still on the rooftops or at the important intersections of the city tarnishing the beauty of the city.Besides the two city corporations, on December 14 last year, the ruling Awami League reportedly asked its leaders and activists and associate bodies not to use photos of anyone except Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on billboards, posters, banners and festoons.But the billboards containing the photos of ruling party leaders and the Mayors of Two City Corporations still remain on the city’s many roads. The oversized and illegal billboards erected across the city by government and private organizations have become a cause for concern for the city dwellers, posing as serious threat to the commuters as well as the transports. The haphazard billboards along with their steel support structures often fell on pedestrians or vehicles during strong wind or storm, causing damage, injuries and even death.
