Ctg mayor freed on bail

Detained ailing Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury was released on bail yesterday from the prison cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
Earlier, he got bail from the High Court in all 22 cases filed against him.
Upon release, Mohiuddin demanded release of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and other party leaders.
Deputy Inspector General of Prisons (DIG-Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddique told The Daily Star that the CCC mayor was freed at about 3:30pm as all guards were withdrawn from his cabin.
Mohiuddin's wife Hasina Mohiuddin told The Daily Star over phone that Mohiuddin would stay at BSMMU before being taken to Chittagong this morning. He has been suffering from diseases including diabetes and complications of heart and eyes.
Mohiuddin, who was arrested on March 7 last year, fell seriously ill during his detention in Bandarban Jail and was taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital from where he was shifted to the intensive care unit at BSMMU Hospital.
Our Chittagong University correspondent adds: Mohiuddin's lawyer Hari Sadhan Dev Burman said after getting government approval Mohiuddin would fly for Bangkok for treatment.
The present caretaker government lodged five of the 22 cases against Mohiuddin, the others having been filed by the BNP-led alliance government.
"The High Court and Appellate Division quashed three cases while final reports were given in four cases as no specific allegations were found against the mayor," said Dev Burman.
Mohiuddin earlier secured bail in 14 cases and the last in the Bijoy TV corruption case involving Tk 80,000 bonds on September 30, he said.
Senior Supreme Court lawyers barrister Amir-Ul Islam, Abdul Baset Majumder, Abdul Matin Khasru and Dev Burman defended Mohiuddin while Deputy Attorney General Abu Bakar Siddique and Assistant Attorney General Mohammad Ali Akhand moved for the state.
Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Director Abu Md Arif Siddique filed the Bijoy TV case with Chittagong Kotwali Police Station on May 27 last year. The charge sheet against Mohiuddin and two others was submitted on November 22 for launching the private TV channel without prior government permission.
In the charge sheet, it was alleged that the accused drew Tk 1,78,02,000 in four phases from the CC funds and gobbled up Tk 1,69,67,960 in the name of the TV channel.
Mohiuddin also faced allegations of not floating any tender for the new television station.
Bijoy TV went on air on December 16, 2006. On March 08 last year, the government issued a show-cause notice on the CCC and closed down the station on March 15.