A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury, just released Mayor of Chittagong, has been barred from working as the mayor of the Chittagong City Corporation by a notification of the Local Government Ministry issued in Dhaka.

The Government action has come in the wake of Mohiuddin's statement that he was still Mayor of Chittagong. He ordered the city administration to stop all payments in connection with development works and held meeting with the councillors. He said, he will not allow any quarter to sell Chittagong Port.

Following his release from BSMMU prison cell the acting mayor Manjurul Alam refrained from attending the mayor's office. His personal secretary was dispossessed of walkie talkie by the Mohiuddin loyalists. The Mohiuddin loyalists virtually took over the city corporation office and kept his opponents at bay.

Mohiuddin Chowdhury could not hold his scheduled meeting with the councillors at the City Corporation Bhaban yesterday following the government restrictions. Local Government Ministry sent a notification to the Chief Executive Officer of CCC on Tuesday night with an edict that the acting mayor, instead of Mohiuddin, is to carry on.

The letter, signed by Senior Assistant Secretary M Delwar Hossain, reads: "As the CCC Mayor is out of jail on bail, so panel mayor (acting Mayor) M Manjur Alam should continue with his mayoral duties."

Mohiuddin, who faces a number of graft cases in the wake of the clean-up drive launched by the interim regime, also had to cancel his scheduled Bangkok trip today to visit his ailing daughter as he did not get Government Order (GO).

Meanwhile, 28 CCC councillors out of 41 protested such decision of the government.

Terming the decision "unlawful", they urged the government to allow him (Mohiuddin) to discharge his duties.

Saying that the order runs counter to the law and Constitution, Mayor Mohiuddin said, "I'm the elected Mayor of 40 lakh people in Chittagong metropolitan area and I got bail through legal process. And my legal right to discharge duties as mayor is protected."

Mohiuddin, also an Awami League leader, was arrested from his Chashma Hill residence in the port city on March 7, 2007 as part of an anti-graft drive by the military-backed interim government. After his arrest, M Manjur Alam was made acting mayor.

He was released from jail on bail on October 8, 2008 after 19 months of detention.

Mohiuddin Chowdhury has enquired in writing to the Local Government Ministry why he has yet to be handed over charge of the mayoral office.

Local Government Adviser Anwarul Iqbal, when contacted for clarification on the matter, said yesterday: "The mayor's letter has been sent to the Law Ministry for their comments. Once the Local Government Ministry receives the Law Ministry's feedback on this, necessary steps will be taken in this regard."

The Adviser pointed out: "The higher court granted bail to the mayor on medical grounds, not to facilitate his taking over the Chittagong Mayor's office again. The next steps in this regard should be taken keeping these considerations in mind."

A senior ministry official told bdnews24.news: "The Chittagong mayor released on bail would like to take back charge of the mayoral office. But the acting mayor isn't obliging him because of some pertinent government restrictions."

The rebuffed mayor wrote to the ministry for an explanation into the situation, the official said.

Mohiuddin was released on bail at BSMMU Hospital on Oct 7, after 19 months in detention.

Arrested on Mar 7 last year, the mayor returned to his home in the port city Tuesday afternoon. He flew in to Chittagong to be met by thousands of Awami League supporters as he reached his Chashma Hill residence.

Speaking to reporters there, he said he intended to go abroad to visit his ailing daughter if the government permits.

He also told reporters, " Awami League should take part in the national election even under emergency."

He claimed the party would be victorious in any election, under emergency "or even under martial law."

He nevertheless urged the withdrawal of emergency for elections, saying: "The people demand it."

"So we hope government shows good sense," added the AL leader. Mohiuddin says, the office of the mayor lies where he stays inside or outside the country.

The Sylhet Mayor Badaruddin Kamran though indicted in a number of corruption charges was allowed to work as Sylhet Mayor. He also won a landslide victory in Sylhet mayoral polls from inside prison. Dhaka Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka who was enlarged on bail from several corruption cases was allowed to continue his mayoral job.