Navana Tower billboards steal its beauty: Building owners

Residents and owners of flats at Navana Tower, a 23-storey building in Gulshan-1, Dhaka, are at odds with the management over large billboards that have been installed on its exterior.

The billboards cover the building's facade from the ground to the fourth floor. While Dhaka North City Corporation is collecting revenue from the advertisements, several residents and flat owners have written to Mayor Md Atiqul Islam, requesting removal of the hoardings.

In their letters, the residents claim that a small group of building owners have colluded with Dhaka North to install the billboards without the consent of the majority. They argue that the signs not only steal the beauty of the building but also pose a potential fire hazard.

The letters, signed by representatives of both the Navana Tower Office Owners Multipurpose Co-operative Society Ltd and the Navana Tower Apartment Owners Association, allege that permission for the billboards was improperly granted.

"Those who have taken permission from the City Corporation to put up billboards/advertisements here are not actually the owners of this building," one letter states. The residents specifically requested the removal of the billboards and legal action against those responsible.

One resident told The Business Standard that the building owners are prioritising revenue generation over aesthetics and safety. "The City Corporation is not paying attention to the fact that this is destroying the beauty of the building. Rather, the City Corporation is collecting revenue from it," the resident remarked.

Dhaka North Chief Revenue Officer Abdullah Al Baki acknowledged receiving two applications. "We'll wait for the mayor to return from abroad and then follow through with his decision."

"We are collecting the tax from the billboard of that building following our tax law," Abdullah Al Baki said. "We will file a hearing from the City Corporation to resolve this."

Navana Tower is managed by three separate associations — the Navana Tower Office Owners Multipurpose Co-operative Society Ltd (for office spaces on floors 5 to 14), the Navana Tower Apartment Owners Association (for residential floors), and the Navana Shopping Complex Shop Owners Association (representing commercial spaces on the lower floors).

The disagreement appears to stem from the decision by the Shop Owners Association to install the billboards on the building's exterior, which they claim falls under their jurisdiction. This move has been contested by the other two associations who are concerned about the overall aesthetics and safety of the building.