UNB, Chittagong :
A court here on Monday relieved Chittagong City Awami League president ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury of his tax-evasion case, accepting the plea that the case was filed to harass the accused politically. Responding to a petition, divisional special sessions Judge SM Ataur Rahman passed the order. Advocate Rony Kumar Dey appeared for petitioner Mohiuddin, also a former may of Chittagong City Corporation.
On July 7, 2008 during the army-backed caretaker government, Additional Tax Commissioner of Chittagong Ziaul Haque filed the tax-evasion case against then mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury under the Income Tax Ordinance 1984 read with the Emergency Power Ordinance 2007.
According to the case statement, Mohiuddin in his wealth statement submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission concealing the information of wealth worth Tk 1.13 crore, causing a loss of Tk 27.58 lakh to the national exchequer. It said Mohiuddin had submitted ‘false’ affidavit and income tax statement from 2004 to 2007 fiscals.
Mohiuddin, arrested by joint forces on March 7, 2007, was later shown arrested in the tax-evasion case. On August 14, 2008, Mohiuddin secured bail from the High Court.
After the Awami League-led alliance assumed power in 2009, Mohiuddin submitted an application with an official committee empowering to scrutinise the cases of political harassment and it recommended relieving im of the charge.
