DHAKA: A Dhaka court on Monday deferred until January 11 the recording of the deposition against 147 BNP-led alliance leaders and activists in a case filed for assaulting police, blasting cocktails and creating violence in front of BNP headquarters in Nayapaltan.

Metropolitan Magistrate Tareq Moinul Islam Bhuiyan fixed the date following a time petition submitted by the defense counsel.

More than one hundred leaders and activists including former BNP Chief Whip Joynal Abdin Farroque and Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) leader Dr AZM Zahid Hossain were present at that time.

However, Monday was the scheduled date to start trial of the case under the Speedy Trial Act but defense counsel Joynul Abedin Mejbah filed a time plea as 44 accused of the case could not appear before the court.

Lawyer Mejbah said that a petition has already been filed at the High Court challenging the legality of the indictment order though the hearing is yet to be held.

Earlier on March 11 in 2013, cocktails went off at a rally in front of the central office of BNP. Following the incident, Paltan Police Station sub-inspector Mahbubul Hasan submitted charge-sheet against 148 people on March 24 last year.

The name of another accused, Omar Faruk, was dropped from the charge-sheet as he died during the trial proceedings.

BDST: 1254 HRS, DEC 15, 2014