Dhaka: The High Court deferred the hearing till 27 April on an anticipatory bail petition of BNP-backed mayoral aspirant Mirza Abbas in a case filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).  

A HC bench comprising Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hassan on Tuesday morning rescheduled the date as Abbas’ lawyers appealed for time petition. 

In 6 March 2014, ACC filed a case with Shahbagh police against the then housing and public works minister Mirza Abbas over graft allegation in plot allotment.

Earlier, on 16 April, Abbas’ lawyer Mahbubuddin Khokon appealed for the hearing seeking bail in the case. 

On 15 April High Court issued a divided order on the anticipatory bail petition of Mirza Abbas.

Senior judge Kamrul Islam Siddique granted a three week anticipatory bail to Mirza Abbas.

However, junior judge Gobinda Chandra rejected the bail plea of the BNP leader. 

Earlier, on 13 April, Mirza Abbas filed petitions with the High Court seeking interim bail in three cases. On 28 December 2014, police filed a case against the BNP standing committee member, Mirza Abbas, with Paltan Police Station on charges of setting fire to a bus and bombing.

On 4 January this year, Motijheel police filed another case against Abbas under the Explosive Substances Act.

Although Abbas was not named in the FIR, he filed the bail plea in the case fearing arrest.

The affidavit he submitted to the Election Commission with the nomination paper shows there are 37 criminal cases against him and he had been accused in 24 cases in the past.