Ctg mayor kept out of his office

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Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury could not hold a meeting with CCC councillors and staffs yesterday as the government prevented him from resuming work as CCC mayor.

The LGRD ministry sent a letter to CCC chief executive officer (CEO) Tuesday saying acting Mayor M Monjur Alam would continue discharging the mayoral duties until further notice.

“The High Court has granted him [Mohiuddin] bail and issued permission for foreign tours. It has not given any directives on resuming his duties [as the mayor],” LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal told reporters yesterday.

The CCC mayor has sought explanation from the ministry concerned as to why the charge of mayor has not been returned to him.

“We are examining it now. We will seek the law ministry’s opinion in this regard,” the LGRD adviser said.

Mohiuddin, now facing 22 cases that were filed after the launch of the anti-corruption drive last year, cancelled his trip to Bangkok yesterday as he did not get a government order. His daughter is having treatment in Bangkok.

Returning to his port city home Tuesday evening, the mayor scheduled a meeting with CCC councillors and staffs yesterday morning. Mohiuddin postponed the meeting as he came to know about the LGRD ministry letter, signed by Senior Assistant Secretary of the LGRD ministry Delwar Hossain.

The councillors convened a press conference at the CCC building yesterday protesting the ministerial order and termed the content of the letter contradictory and illegal. Thirty-eight out of 55 CCC councillors were present.

Citing example of Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka and Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Badruddin Ahmed Kamran, they said Khoka and Kamran are now discharging their mayoral duties even though they are on bail.

Sources said the LGRD letter was in fact a reply to another letter sent to the ministry by a CCC official on October 13.

The CCC letter sought suggestion and instruction from the ministry about who would perform mayoral duties since Mayor Mohiuddin in an “office order” from his hospital bed at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BMSSU) in Dhaka suspended a number of official activities of the corporation.

CCC CEO Shamsuddoha said he sent the letter facing a dilemma in performing duties as both Mohiuddin and Monjur were directing them.

“Mayor Mohiuddin started giving directives from Dhaka after being released on bail while the acting mayor has also been continuing his duty putting us in a dilemma. That is why we had no alternative but to seek the ministry’s direction,” Shamsuddoha said.

CCC councillors loyal to Mohiuddin condemned the government for wasting time in allowing him to go to Bangkok and see his ailing daughter.

Awami League leader and CCC Mayor Mohiuddin was arrested at his Chashma Hill home in Chittagong on March 7, 2007. He was released on bail on October 8.

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