An HC bench yesterday refused to hear a bail petition filed by detained mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury in the Bijoy TV graft case as the bench is overburdened with other cases.
The HC bench comprising Justice Mohammad Anwarul Haque and Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, however, asked the counsels for Mohiuddin to submit the bail petition before this bench today (Tuesday) for hearing.
Mohiuddin's counsel advocate Hari Sadhan Deb Brahman, who moved the petition, told The Daily Star that earlier on September 14, a vacation bench of the HC comprising Justice Khondker Musa Khaled and Justice Farid Ahmed refused to hear this petition for the same reason.
He said on August 28, an HC bench comprising Justice Sharif Uddin Chaklader and Justice Md Emdadul Haque Azad dropped the same petition from its case docket without showing any reason.
Mohiuddin got bail in 13 cases, out of 14, against him, adding, “If he is granted bail in the Bijoy TV case, there will be no legal bar for his release from jail”, he added.
The HC vacation bench of Justice Zinat Ara and Justice Syed Mohammad Ziaul Karim on September 18 directed the jail authorities to submit the recent medical reports of Mohiuddin to examine those for considering his bail in this case by September 23 to the HC.
Hari Sadhan said he moved the bail petition yesterday (September 22), a day before the date (September 23) fixed by the bench of Justice Zinat Ara and Justice Syed Mohammad Ziaul Karim, since this bench would not sit during the vacation of this court.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Kotwali Police Station in Chittagong on May 27 last year against Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Imtiaz Hossain and CCC Chief Engineer Mokhter on charges of launching Bijoy TV without prior government permission.
The charge sheet was submitted on November 22 last year in which it was alleged that the trio drew Tk 1.78 crore from the corporation fund in four phases and used Tk 1,69,67,960 from the amount in the name of launching the private channel.
The case remains pending with the Divisional Special Judge's Court in Chittagong.