Govt bans using PM's photo on banners, billboards for official events

The government has banned the use of the Prime Minister's photograph on banners, festoons and billboards produced for the promotion of official events, directing all government agencies to place greater emphasis on the purpose, message and content of programmes instead of personality-centric publicity.

The directive was issued through a circular released on Sunday (July 5) by the Cabinet Division's General Administration Wing and takes immediate effect.

Signed by Deputy Secretary Tania Afroz, the circular instructs all ministries, divisions, departments, directorates, autonomous bodies and field-level offices to strictly comply with the new guidelines.

According to the circular, the Prime Minister's photograph must not be used on banners, festoons or billboards for any government programme, whether in 3D format or any other visual presentation.

Instead, the design of all promotional materials should clearly reflect the objective, theme and key message of the event, ensuring that the programme itself remains the central focus.

The Cabinet Division also directed authorities to prioritize relevant and balanced information in all publicity materials so that the purpose and significance of government programmes are communicated effectively to the public.

The circular urged all government institutions and officials concerned to implement the directive with due importance and ensure full compliance with the new policy.