Two Dhaka city corporations are yet to launch any special drive to remove all kinds of campaign materials promoting aspirant candidates in the upcoming city corporations polls although the March 27 deadline set by the High court to remove has expired.
On March 18, the High Court bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Justice Jahangir Hossain directed the Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation administrators and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner to remove in 10 days all kinds of campaign materials, even if it was in the form of graffiti, which deface the view of the metropolis.
DSCC chief revenue officer Moniruzzaman told New Age on Thursday that they had not yet received any directive from the High Court.
‘We have read reports on the issue only in newspapers and do not know anything more,’ he said, adding that they were, however, continuing their routine drive against illegal hoarding, banner and festoon.
‘During our routine drive, we have also removed some of these campaign materials,’ he claimed.
Moniruzzaman said if Dhaka Metropolitan Police would come forward, officials of the city corporations would assist them.
The corporation’s law department officials confirmed that they had not received any copy of the court directive till Thursday.
A senior official of the Dhaka North City Corporation confirmed on the day that they also had not received any copy of the directive.
The court passed the order after hearing a public interest litigation filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association seeking a directive on the government to remove such campaign materials.
The petitioner’s counsel, Iqbal Kabir, submitted that many posters, banners and cut-outs had already been put on display in many places promoting aspirant candidates in the DCC elections, affecting the view of the capital city even before the polls schedules were announced.