Graphic designer held for posters on traffic jam, waterlogging

Police have picked up Shamim Ashraf, a graphic designer and poet, for making posters highlighting traffic congestion and waterlogging problems in Mymensingh City Corporation.

Shamim was detained from his business establishment, Graffiti, located in the Atharo Bari Building area of the city, around 10pm on Sunda without any specific complaints.

However later, he was sent to jail on Monday afternoon after being booked under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which police use to make arrests without a warrant.

Kotwali Model Police Station OC Mohammad Main Uddin confirmed the matter.

Police said he is accused of designing posters criticising the development initiatives taken by former city mayor and also the president of the ruling Awami League Mymensingh City unit, Ekramul Hoque Titu.

This arrest triggered a debate among the residents of the city as just before the police picked him up, BCL leaders, including Al Amin, its president of the district unit, entered Graffiti and asked Shamim not to produce the posters.

The Chhatra League leaders also broadcast the incident live on Facebook.

Later, Aminul Haque Shamim, the vice president of the district unit of the ruling party and Titu's elder brother, visited the office.

Contacted, BCL leader Al Amin said criticisms can be tolerated, but Shamim was doing it “deliberately in an unreasonable way” in posters without giving any source.

On the other hand, Md Ehteshamul Alam, president of Mymensingh District Awami League and a candidate for the mayor’s post, called a press meet in this regard and protested against Shamim’s arrest.

Mymensingh City Corporation elections are scheduled for March 9.