Ban soon on graffiti, posters

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The LGRD and cooperatives ministry has drafted an ordinance proposing a ban on scrawling graffiti and pasting posters on the walls of houses and establishments in urban areas across the country.

The draft titled ‘Wall writing and posters control ordinance 2008′ also proposed stringent punishment including fines for violation of the ordinance, sources said.

According to the draft proposals, nobody will be allowed to use walls for writings or pasting posters to campaign for their interests. The law enforcement agencies will be empowered to direct companies or persons who would use the walls for such purposes to remove those.

Local government institutions however could specify places for pasting posters in their respective areas, if needed.

The city corporations and municipalities in urban areas are now responsible for keeping their areas clean. But in the absence of specific laws, they sometimes face difficulties in taking actions in cases of scrawling graffiti and pasting posters on walls.

Copy of the draft ordinance has been sent to the Election Commission (EC) to examine its provisions in the light of the EC’s draft proposals for electoral reforms which include ban on writings and pasting posters on walls during polls, sources said.

The EC proposals, if those are made laws, will be applicable only during election campaigns. But once the draft ordinance is made law, it will be applicable always.

Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain yesterday said the EC is scheduled to sit on Sunday to discuss the draft ordinance.

The EC in its proposed code of conduct for political parties and candidates seeks severe restrictions on pasting posters and graffiti on walls in city corporations and municipalities for election campaigns.

“Violation of the code of conduct (as proposed) is an offence punishable with imprisonment, fine and cancellation of candidatures,” Sohul told The Daily Star.

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