DNCC to paint fresh July-graffiti on metro rail pillars

Posters on the Dhaka Metro Rail pillars will be removed within 72 hours and replaced with graffiti that highlights the role of July heroes, according to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan.

“We have decided to remove posters from the metro rail pillars and paint graffiti within 72 hours. There will be no politicisation of the initiative,” he said on Friday.

Safiqul was speaking at the inauguration of a campaign, titled “Let’s Remake July Graffiti”, organised by the DNCC.

The administrator said a portrait of former BNP chairperson and prime minister Khaleda Zia would also be painted on the metro rail pillars, crediting her with making the greatest contribution to the emergence of the July 2024 uprising.

Referring to a recent movement over battery-run autorickshaws, Shafiqul said leaders and activists of different political parties had been seen on the streets in the name of the protest.

“But there is not a single person [who isn’t politically motivated] that would take to the streets to demonstrate in support of autorickshaws,” he said.

Calling for unity, the DNCC administrator urged people to support positive initiatives taken by the government and city corporations.

“Criticism is part of democracy. In Bangladesh, there has been a little too much democracy lately. We had promised that if the BNP government took responsibility for running the country, it would ensure full democracy and an independent Bangladesh. But that does not mean you can do whatever you want,” he added.

Shafiqul also vowed to free all footpaths in Dhaka from illegal occupation, saying problems in specific areas would be addressed with the cooperation of local residents.

He alleged that a political party was instigating footpath encroachers to occupy the walkways again.

The DNCC has temporarily removed plaques bearing the names of July uprising martyrs and fighters from the police box at Mirpur-10 roundabout for renovation, saying the plaques will be redesigned and reinstalled at a more prominent location.

The move came after the police box was damaged during an unwanted incident surrounding an eviction drive against illegal structures at Mirpur-10 recently.