Walls still covered with posters seeking votes
EC deadline for removal expires today
Ershad Kamol | New Age Nov 18,2018
Clockwise from top left, election campaign materials on an electric poll at Naya Paltan, on a wall at Azimpur and on another wall at Dhanmondi in the capital violate electoral code of conduct. The photos were taken on Saturday.— Indrajit Kumer Ghosh and Sony Ramany
Walls at places in the capital are still covered with posters seeking votes for aspirants from different parties as the deadline set by the Election Commission for removal of posters, banners, graffiti and other campaign materials expires today.
Aspirants, their supporters and trade unions of different government and private offices have covered walls with posters, hanged banners and made graffiti seeking votes for the ruling Awami League, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Jatiya Party faction led by HM Ershad and others in the 11th parliamentary elections scheduled for December 30.
City dwellers alleged that many of the campaign materials were pasted, hanged or made even after the announcement of the election schedule on November 9 and despite the commission’s instruction issued time and against to remove them.
The commission on Saturday issued a notification stating that action would be taken against aspirants, parties and owners of buildings, enterprises, markets and transports from where posters, banners, graffiti, billboard, gate, marquees, lightings and campaign materials for votes would not be removed by midnight past today.
The commission also asked the city corporations, municipal councils and other local government bodies to take necessary steps in this regard for ensuring a level playing field.
Commission secretary Helaluddin Ahmed earlier on Friday said that actions would be taken against people for violating the commission’s directives.
Banners, posters and graffiti seeking vote in were found in different areas in Dhaka, including Gulistan, Naya Paltan, Dhanmondi, Wari, Motijheel, Captan Bazar, Lalbagh and Tejgaon on Saturday.
Posters seeking vote were found even on the buses.
Many of those banners and posters were hanged or pasted during recent programmes of the Awami League and its youth wing Juba League while many others were placed after the announcement of the election schedule, local people said.
The front wall of the Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Limited, next to Dhaka South City Corporation headquarters in Phulbaria, was found covered with posters seeking votes for the Awami League by different leaders of the party and its associate bodies.
Big banners seeking vote for the party were found near the AL central office on Bangabandhu Avenue. The adjacent walls were also found covered with posters seeking vote for the party and different aspirants.Posters seeking nomination for Giasuddin Sarkar Palash for Dhaka 9 parliamentary constituency were found on walls near the AL president’s Dhanmondi office. The poster also sought vote for him.Similar posters were found in Jatrabai, Syedabad, Wari, Kaptan Bazar, Motijheel, New Market and Dhanmondi areas.
Trade bodies like Power Development Board Workers Union, Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Sramik Union, Kaptan Bazar Market Owners Association hanged banners seeking votes for the Awami League.Posters seeking votes for home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal were found on the walls on Green Road, Karwan Bazar and Tejgaon areas.
Two rivals seeking AL tickets for running for the Dhaka 7 constituency — Hazi Selim and Omar Bin Aziz — shared walls with posters at Palasi.
Graffiti sponsored by Mohammad Selim and Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin seeking vote for AL were found in front of Eden Mohila College and Azimpur respectively.
Posters of M Ekhlasuddin Mollah, AL nomination seeker for Dhaka 16, were found on the buses seeking nomination and vote.
Posters and banners of BNP nomination seekers seeking votes were found in the adjacent areas of BNP headquarters at Naya Paltan.
The nomination seekers included Aparna Roy Das, Rahima Shikdar, Eliza Sharmin Munni, Abdus Salam, Abdul Haris (Kala Miah), Engineer Badlur Rahman Khan for Dhaka 4, Munshiganj 3, Pirojopur 3, Dhaka 13, Narshingdi 3, Tangail 4 constituencies respectively. Posters of Jatiya Party presidium member Saifuddin Ahmed Milon seeking vote for the party were found at places across the capital. ‘Posters have been pasted as per a party decision and activists are responsible to remove those in their respective areas,’ Saifuddin told New Age on Saturday.
‘Did you asked the question to the Awami League leaders,’ Saifuddin asked.
BNP’s senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said that they would remove posters from the walls of the party office.
‘But, the party is not responsible removal of poster from other walls,’ he said.
AL joint general secretary Abdur Rahman said that they had asked their local party leaders and activists to remove the posters and billboard from their respective areas.
‘We have also told them that they can take help of the local administrations,’ he said.
Dhaka South City mayor Sayeed Khokon said that those who made the city dirty with posters and banners seeking vote should not get nomination.
‘It’s really disturbing and they should remove the posters with their expenses. Otherwise the Election Commission should take actions against them,’ he said.
He did not want to take responsibility to clean the walls.