The mayor’s shenanigans

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Having enjoyed popularity as the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) mayor for a long time, ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury suddenly became a different person after being elected to the post for the third time in May 2005.

Allegations of nepotism, misconduct with CCC officials and staff, encroaching on government land, and corruption surfaced against him during the past 22 months since the last mayoral election.

Instead of fulfilling his 40-point pledge, Mohiuddin, who has 14 cases filed against him by the Anti-Corruption Commission, began his third tenure consolidating his own interests, sources alleged.

Mohiuddin has been mostly criticised for his ill behaviour with the CCC officials and staffs, who would often come under attack of his abusive words, sources said.

But the CCC officials and staffs never dared to speak out their agonies, let alone protest Mohiuddin’s behaviour.

However, Mohiuddin’s current term as the CCC chief allegedly started with favouring relatives and people of his choice.

It is alleged that he removed then chief health officer Dr Sarfaraj Khan Chowdhury, a freedom fighter, and appointed his son-in-law Dr Selim Chowdhury despite the fact that Selim was one of the most junior health officers at the CCC.

Blessed with all types of patronage from his “powerful” father in-law, Selim also turned very quickly into the most influential man in the health department.

Earlier in September 2002, then country director of Asian Development Bank (ADP) Toru Shibuichi in a letter to the mayor expressed his disapproval of Selim’s activities and involvement in corruption. Selim was then the programme manager of the Urban Primary Healthcare Project.

In the letter, Shibuichi asked the mayor to immediately remove Selim and take stern actions against him.

Mohiuddin, however, awarded Selim first with a promotion as health officer and then to the top post of the CCC health department.

The LGRD ministry also wrote two letters to the CCC mayor on July 17, 2003 and June 1, 2006, accusing his son-in-law of irregularities and asked him to take necessary actions in this regard. But Mohiuddin simply overlooked the complaints.

It is alleged that Mohiuddin also cancelled a tender won by two firms–Mizan Enterprise and Silk Enterprise–for the construction work of the CCC-owned Mammon Maternity Hospital unit-2 to award it to Selim. He even paid Selim Tk 55 lakh in advance for the work, sources said.

The mayor himself held the post of coordinator of the CCC Pharmaceutical Factory on Sagarika Road under Pahartali Police Station and once went to Mumbai and Kolkata to procure machinery and materials for the factory, sources alleged.

During his current tenure Mohiuddin also defied laws and ignored the civil society outcries for protecting the scenic setting of the port city and cut many hills to build housing projects under the banner of the CCC. He also built many markets and a private university by encroaching on government land.

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