Drive against illegal billboards in Nov

The government will launch a drive next month to remove illegal billboards from city streets and highways, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Qauder told a discussion in the capital yesterday.

"Bangladesh is a factory of producing leaders and all of them are billboard leaders. The so-called leaders install billboards on city streets and highways posting their images along with photographs of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and our Prime Minister," said Quader.

"Installing these billboards they want to show that they are 'big leaders' but allegations are also there that they are getting involved in extortion showing their billboards", he added.

He said these billboards, apart from causing visual pollution, contribute to road accidents as drivers of vehicles lose their concentration seeing billboards during their driving.  Road and Transport Programme and Advocacy for Social Change of BRAC organised the policy dialogue at the city's BRAC Centre Inn.