RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Dec. 22 (Reuters)—Sheik Mujibur Rahman, hero of the East Pakistani secessionist movement, was released from a West Pakistani prison today and placed under house arrest at an undisclosed place.

The move, announced by the Pakistani radio, followed an order from Pakistan's new President, Zulfikar All Bhutto, last night to move the 51‐year‐old Shiek Mujib from prison, where he has been held for the last nine months.

Hazim Pirzada, one of Mr. Bhutto's close aides and the designated Information Minister in the new Cabinet, said he could not disclose where the East Pakistani politician was being confined.

Sheik Mujib was arrested on March 25 when the former President, Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan, ordered an army crackdown in East Pakistan to prevent its threatened secession.

Arrest Followed Election

Sheik Mujib had scored sweeping election victory in December, 1970, and was arrested following his demands for greater autonomy for the region. He was brought to West Pakistan and put on trial for “crimes against Pakistan.”

Nothing had been heard about the fate of the East Pakistani leader until Mr. Bhutto, making his inaugural address to the nation on Monday, disclosed that Sheik Mujib was “alive and well,” although he had not yet met him.

As to his release and negotiations with him, the radio quoted Mr. Bhutto as having said that he would first have to take into account the views of the Pakistani people.

Mr. Bhutto, who has been busy issuing directives and appointing senior officials in his first three days in office, announced today that he would visit Peking soon. He last visited Peking in early November—before Pakistan's two‐week war with India.

At that time he headed a special mission on behalf of President Yahya, and sought Peking's hacking in the Indian‐Pakistani confrontation. He returned home three days later with a pledge of China's resolute support in the event of any foreign aggression.

The Pakistani radio reported that Mr. Bhutto had given instructions that traffic should not be stopped for him when he drives along the streets. Policemen should also not be posted along the streets, the radio added.

It said the President believed that as a representative of the people he had no need to be protected from them.

“I do not want police constables to be removed from their urgent duties only to be posted to wait for me to pass,” Mr. Bhutto said, according to the radio.