Various factors cause defacement of the city's landscape being an eyesore to its residents. Among the factors, we may mention the widespread prevalence of graffiti or wallwriting in almost all areas of the city. Graffiti has a long tradition in our country but has, however, worked as a drag on the clean facade of the city. Graffiti which mainly convey political messages and slogans has become so pervasive that there is hardly any place where it cannot be found.. The resulting abominable disfiguring of the city's walls and buildings is a constant source of uneasiness. It was generally observed that previously these wall-writings were often executed in a crude manner but nowadays most wall-writings are done with readymade metal castings in the form of the alphabet. Whatever forms may the wall-writings take, crude or improved, the city landscape invariably becomes aesthetically repulsive because of their existence. Since there appear to be no rules or regulations either from the municipal authority or any other quarter to regulate this unsightly activity, the propensity for resorting to this sort of activity for any cause whatsoever has been steadily on the increase. Previously under autocratic regimes, orders were issued to wipe out the ugly signs. This bore some results for a temporary period. But the graffiti culture is so much ingrained in us that it seems that no amount of efforts backed by proper civic ethos will ever eliminate it completely.

Lately a new trend is noticeable in the use of the city walls as vehicles for advertisements of various commercial products. Under the new trend, a big portion of a wall is taken up for advertising purposes. The trend seems to be steadily growing in the city. One of the reasons for this new trend may be that painting such advertisements of consumer products on walls of buildings is more economical than

setting up billboards and such painted advertisements on walls are more durable and stable, not subject to damage by storms. In one respect, these painted advertisements are at least less painful to the eye than crudely executed graffiti with political import.

In some areas where there are parks and attractive open spaces, view of natural beauty is sometimes obstructed by large billboards. It is felt that in the interest of maintaining openness of such spots of natural beauty, the municipal authorities should discourage people from putting up billboards in those city areas.

In fact, it is understood that in Singapore, for instance, there are strict municipal rules restricting erection of billboards in areas which diminish natural beauty of those areas. The Dhaka City Corporation may take a cue from the Singapore

example in this respect.

Display of banners of various descriptions also affect the clean look of the city. Banners interfere not only with the clean facade of the landscape but also the city's skyline. Fluttering banners of different colours and sizes also obscure the skyline.

Above all, the graffiti problem is felt by observers to be quite a grave one, as they have an important bearing on the city's look. As such, it is imperative to devise ways to tackle the graffiti problem in the city. A regulation by the civic authorities carrying stiff penal provisions for the sponsors of graffiti may be an answer. But in the least provisions may be made so that no graffiti is allowed in certain specified areas of the city for aesthetic considerations.