The High Court has deferred the hearing on bail petitions by BNP's Dhaka city convener Mirza Abbas until May 24 in two arson cases.
The bench of Justice Md Ruhul Quddus set the date following a time petition filed by Abbas' lawyer Nitai Roy Chowdhury on Monday afternoon.
In the petition, Abbas' counsel mentioned they need more time, as their senior lawyer Khandakar Mahbub Hossain was busy ahead of the Bar Council election.
The Bar Council election is slated for May 20.
Advocate Joinul Abedin and Nitai Roy Chowdhury moved for Abbas while Deputy Attorney General Bashir Ullah stood for the state during the hearing.
Earlier on April 15, the High Court passed a split order on the bail petitions of Mirza Abbas in the cases.
Justice Quamrul Islam granted the BNP leader three-week anticipatory bail while his colleague in the bench Justice Gobinda Chandra rejected both of Abbas’ pleas and ordered him to surrender to the trial court.
Later, the petitions and the two orders were sent to Chief Justice SK Sinha and then the chief justice formed a single bench to hear the pleas.
