Hearing prayers of senior BNP leader Mirza Abbas' lawyers seeking time, a High Court bench yesterday again deferred to May 24 hearings of his bail petitions in two criminal cases while another fixed today to pass an order on one prayer in a corruption case.

Hearing of Abbas' anticipatory bail petitions had been deferred multiple times, the last one on April 27, by the HC bench of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hassan in the corruption case filed by AntiCorruption Commission.

Earlier, hearing of the bail petitions in the two criminal cases was assigned to the HC bench of Justice Md Ruhul Quddus by the chief justice after an HC bench gave a split verdict.

The cases were filed on vandalism and vehicle arson attack charges.

Nitai Roy Chowdhury, who moved the prayers, reasoned that Abbas' filing lawyer AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon and senior lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, who would place arguments in the two criminal cases, were currently busy for the Bangladesh Bar Council polls, scheduled for May 20. Deputy Attorney General Bashirullah opposed the time plea.

Abbas' wife Afroza Abbas conducted campaigns while the BNP-blessed candidate of the Dhaka South City Corporation election stayed aloof apparently to avoid arrest with Dhaka police issuing stern warnings for "fugitive" accused in criminal cases to stay away from the polls.