CITY POLLS CAMPAIGN Posters, billboards flood capital.
Huge colourful billboards and posters put up at vantage points of the capital weeks back proclaim pledges of mayoral aspirants to develop the two cities in Dhaka. The aspirants began the campaigns long before the election schedules were announced Wednesday. The campaigns competition began in gross violation of the electoral code of conduct for local governments that permits electioneering only for three weeks ending two days before polling takes place. In this backdrop on Wednesday the Election Commission announced that polling would take place on April 28. The electoral code also prohibits election campaigns before allocation of election symbols to the eligible candidates. Unable to hide their amazement over the huge billboards eclipsing important intersections and buildings, residents quipped bill boards seemed to have become the preferred medium of campaigns.
They called it a shameful wasteful spending spree by aspirants in a competition to portray themselves as campaigners, younger than they actually are, making tall pledges. Huge billboards have been put up overshadowing the entrance to Bongshal, Nazimuddin Road, Lalbagh and virtually all the intersections at Bannai, Gulshan, Uttara Model Town and the other neighbourhoods of the capital. While announcing the election schedules the chief election commissioner warned that severe action would be taken unless the unauthorized campaign posters and bill boards were removed. Before putting up the giant billboards, none cared to seek permission from Dhaka South City Corporation or Dhaka North City Corporation, said officials. Bill boards and posters conveying aspirants’ messages like ‘Citizens are my strength –courtesy city dwellers’, ‘If trust is wrecked once it is impossible to recover’ over shadow important buildings also. Bangladesh Outdoor Billboard owners Association told New Age that the aspirants or their promoters were using billboards without its permission.
Blank billboards became the prime target, it said, and none dares to protest against the political parties involved in it, said association officials. Both authorized and unauthorized use of billboards by the aspirants began for the election propaganda even before they became candidates officially, they said. An advertising company executive told New Age that several blank bill boards were being illegally used by aspirants for their campaign propaganda. He said that billboards and posters of DNC mayoral aspirants Annisul Haque, Kamal Majumder, MP, eclipsed much of Mirpur and other areas. Sayeed Khokon, aspiring to get ruling Awami League’s nomination for the office of DSC mayor, pledges in huge billboards, ‘Let us build a city that fosters children’s natural growth.’ Khokon proclaims that he is ‘Citizens’ Candidate, Your candidate.’ Khokon told New Age over phone that he asked his party activists to remove the billboards they had illegally put up. Posters proclaiming, ‘We want to see freedom fighter Kamal Majumder as the mayor of Dhaka North City distract the attention of passersby from Mirpur to Sonargaon crossing. Billboards and posters of Jatiya Party presidium member Saifuddin Ahmed Milon who aspires to be mayor of Dhaka South City tells voters, ‘Ask your conscience. By wasting your time in a long queue do not vote for weak candidate’. Milon told New Age that he did not rent the billboards.
He also said that he was not aware who had put up the billboards using his name. On a vantage point on Mirpur Bypass Road a 20feet by 40feet billboard says, ‘Every year 15,000 people die due to air pollution, sixty per cent of the city areas do not have drains. Environmental problems have been e identified. Let’s solve. Elect Annisul Haque as the mayor,’ Courtesy – Amra Dhaka. Annisul Haque makes all sorts of pledges to improve civic amenities in hundreds of colourful billboards and posters depicting him as a youthful and energetic aspirant. DNCC chief executive officer B M Enamul Haque told New Age that none took the permission to put up the campaign billboards and posters. ‘Very soon we will launch a drive to remove the unauthorized billboards and posters,’ he said.
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