Highlights

• Government bans Prime Minister's image on official promotional displays.
• Ban applies to banners, festoons, billboards, including 3D images.
• Event themes should replace leader-focused publicity materials.

The government has banned the use of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's image on banners, festoons and billboards prepared for official programmes.

The Cabinet Division today (5 July) issued a circular in this regard with immediate effect.

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

Instead, ministries, divisions and government agencies have been asked to give priority to the subject matter of the event while preparing publicity materials.

The circular, signed by Deputy Secretary Tania Afrezi, said banners, festoons and billboards should contain only necessary and relevant information and be designed in a way that clearly reflects the purpose, message and theme of the event.

The Cabinet Division described the matter as highly important and instructed all ministries, divisions and government offices to implement the directive immediately.

Contacted, Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu said Tarique Rahman noticed his own photographs on banners and festoons prepared for a ministry's programme marking a national day while travelling from his residence to the Secretariat on Wednesday morning.

The Prime Minister later instructed the Cabinet Secretary to ensure that his photograph is no longer used in publicity materials for government observances or programmes organised by ministries.

Following the Prime Minister's directive, Shiplu said the Cabinet Division issued the circular banning the use of his image on banners, festoons and billboards for official events.