Hearing of Mirza Abbas’ bail plea deferred

The hearing on the bail petition of BNP leader Mirza Abbas over cases of sabotage has been deferred.

A High Court bench on Monday fixed May 24 for the next hearing after Abbas’ lawyers pleaded for time.

Abbas’ lawyers Jainul Abedin and Nitai Roy Chowdhury asked for more time as bar council election were due on the day.

The hearing had been deferred twice after the lawyers raised ‘security issues’.

Police filed two cases at Paltan and Motijheel stations against Abbas over his alleged involvement in acts of sabotage.

On Apr 13, ahead of city corporation polls, Abbas appeared before the court and sought anticipatory bail.

Two days later, the bench of justices Quamrul Islam Siddique and Gobinda Chandra Tagore gave a split order on the bail plea.

The senior judge granted a three-week bail while the other judge rejected the petition asking him to surrender.

Later, Chief Justice SK Sinha assigned a new bench headed by justice Md Ruhul Quddus.

As the petition reached the bench on Apr 27, the bench deferred the date of hearing on the lawyers’ request for time.

BNP Standing Committee member Abbas sought bail in another case by Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).

However, on Apr 15 the petition was removed by Justices Quamrul Islam Siddique and Gobinda Chandra Tagore as there are separate benches in high court for hearing of the cases of ACC.

Abbas has not been seen in public for the last three months until Apr 13 and Apr 15 when he came to the High Court to file the petitions.

He was not seen on the city corporation poll day on Apr 28 since his bail plea was rejected.