Poster overload turning skylines into election wallpapers

Let's talk about those vote-seeking posters hanging above us, shall we? Nowadays, I can barely see the sky due to the multitude of black and white election posters arranged diagonally from one end of the road to the other. Is it really necessary to have a thousand of them? 

What exactly does this poster overload achieve? Psychologically speaking, if you keep seeing and hearing a particular thing, whether it's a poster or a song, there's a good chance you might find that thing interesting. The marketing strategy is to consistently present a certain item in front of your eyes to the extent that, at a certain point, you would want to own it—just like GhorerBazar's Honey Nuts. I'm not criticising the product, nor am I saying it's bad, but I really wish to try it, because it keeps popping up on my newsfeed every day. Similarly, these posters and the music are the current honey nuts that you are forced to see to secure a vote for the upcoming election. It's an old-school strategy to become a leader.

I do believe, however, that anyone aspiring to be a leader should possess intelligence, modern intellectual prowess, and some digital skills. The concept of securing votes should revolve around an individual's personality, rather than the prevalent approach. During my school and university days, earning votes for roles such as class president or course representative was challenging. Imagine wanting to be a class representative for your course, and the initial thought is to print a thousand copies of your face alongside an unrelated object, perhaps an eagle or a toilet brush, instead of earning votes based on your capabilities and merit. Does that sound sensible to you? 

However, I'm pretty sure I've seen many rooting for different markas every day. They are given a pickup truck, by the way—a large one that can accommodate around 30 people—along with two big speakers, just to shout and dance throughout the entire capital city. No one, mind you, not even the police officers, seems bothered about it! Can you imagine? It's like a free pass all over the city. All you have to do is party around, dance to an offbeat song, wear the headband of the marka you are supporting, and shout your epiglottis out. Free money and fun—isn't this what we all want? At least, it's better than most of the eight-hour full-time jobs where your boss yells at you for even breathing, right?

These strategies, besides being weird and unethical, also contribute to other problems. Firstly, the idea of plastering the entire city with posters erodes the natural beauty of our cities. In the current urban environment, where trees are being cut down and fresh air is hard to come by because of exhaust fumes, the only remaining beauty is the city architecture—something these posters are taking away from us. Moreover, once the election concludes, the individuals seeking votes may not bother to remove these posters. They will likely linger as is for days until they eventually fall on their own.  

Secondly, our poor auditory senses are also being dragged into the chaos. Personally, I must admit, the initial "party" anthem had a certain vibe to it. Why, you ask? Beats me! Now, however, brace yourselves for the onslaught of musical tragedies. It's like they're trying to outdo each other in absurdity. Also, let's talk about the lyrics, shall we? Do they even make sense? Not really. It's like they threw words into a blender and hoped for the best. You'd think a toddler with a rhyming dictionary could do better. Someone needs to hand these lyricists a thesaurus and a crash course in coherence. The only thing they're winning is the race to make our ears bleed. 

The excessive use of campaign posters and loud music during elections has overwhelmed our senses and urban surroundings, impacting the aesthetics of our society. While these methods may aim to attract attention and influence votes, they contribute to environmental issues. It is crucial to remember that effective leadership should be based on qualities such as intelligence and merit rather than relying solely on attention-grabbing tactics. As we navigate through the unconventional campaign strategies, we should emphasise the need for more thoughtful and substantive approaches to political campaigning, ensuring the preservation of our urban environment and fostering a more informed electorate.

Shahriyer Hossain Shetu is research assistant at the Center for Sustainable Development and English instructor at the Center for Language Studies of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).

Views expressed in this article are the author's own.

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