Following the intense student-people uprising and the escape of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, students have painted graffiti on walls and pillars across various locations in the capital. These graffiti, created during the July uprising, include tributes to martyrs as well as powerful slogans addressing issues such as fascism, corruption, and calls for state reform.
However, within just three months of the uprising, these striking artworks are being covered by posters from political parties, commercial establishments, alongside banners from educational institutions.
After August 5, students painted graffiti across various areas of the capital, including Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Dhaka University, New Bailey Road, Minto Road, and Science Laboratories.
Graffiti appeared on the walls and boundary walls of numerous buildings, including educational institutions, as well as on road islands, metro rail pillars, and flyover columns, with hundreds of students taking part in the act. The students raised their own funds to purchase paint and supplies, and wrote various slogans and lines.
These graffiti not only feature portraits of those who lost their lives in the uprising and tributes to them, but also express calls for communal harmony, societal and state reforms, an end to bribery and corruption, the abolition of autocracy, freedom of speech, equal rights, and a fiery protest against all forms of injustice and oppression.
In addition, the graffiti include lines from timeless songs and poems, as well as expressions of hope and dreams for a new Bangladesh.
On-site observations reveal that At the Mouchak intersection, the graffiti on the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover pillars, including the tribute to Mugdho, who was martyred in the July uprising, with the message "Pani Lagbe Pani" and "Ami Tumi Amra," has largely been covered by posters from political parties.
At the second pillar from Mouchak towards Malibagh, a banner from an English language coaching center has covered one of the graffiti pieces.
On the next pillar, a poster has been pasted over the graffiti reading "DeshkeValobeshe Agle Rakhun"
Additionally, a banner from another coaching center has been placed over the graffiti reading 'Pani'r Opor Nam Mugdho' on the other side of the pillar.
At the Malibagh intersection, graffiti featuring Arabic script has also been covered with posters. These are just a few examples, as the majority of the pillars on the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover are now covered in posters from various political parties.
At the same time, posters from political parties, coaching centers, and various institutions have been pasted over graffiti-covered walls, including those on the Hanif flyover and metro rail pillars.
In response, the Dhaka Metropolitan North and South BNP have issued strict instructions to their leaders and activists to remove all posters, banners, and festoons from the capital. The directive was shared in separate press releases sent to the media on Saturday.
In a statement issued by the Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP, it was announced that all offices, festoons, banners, posters, and billboards of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its affiliated organizations within the jurisdiction of Dhaka Metropolitan North must be removed. The directive, issued by Dhaka Metropolitan North BNP convener Aminul Haque and member secretary Mostafa Zaman, mandates the removal of these materials within the next three days.
Similarly, the Dhaka Metropolitan South BNP issued a separate directive, instructing the removal of all banners, festoons, posters, and billboards across Dhaka Metropolitan South within 48 hours. The directive, sent to leaders and activists at all levels of the party and its affiliated organizations, covers all wards, units, and police stations in the area. This instruction was issued by Dhaka Metropolitan South BNP convener Rafiqul Alam Majnu and member secretary Tanveer Ahmed Robin.
The statement also emphasized that strict organizational measures would be taken against those who fail to comply with the order.
Despite the strict directives from the BNP, there has been no visible implementation of the removal of posters and banners. Posters and banners are still visible on flyover pillars, metro rail pillars, and various walls across the city.
In this regard, Mohammad Nasim Ahmed, the Chief Waste Management Officer of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), said, "Posters and festoons have been pasted over the graffiti on flyover and metro rail pillars. We have noticed these. However, the BNP has issued instructions for their removal. If they fail to remove them, we will take the initiative to have them removed."
Translated by ARK/Bd-Pratidin English
