Metropolitan Magistrate Abdur Rouf Khan passed the order following a time petition by the prosecution lawyers on behalf of the complainant saying he (Tarique) was busy in his business.

Earlier, on January 15 and 18, two metropolitan magistrates adjourned judicial inquiries into two defamation cases filed by Tarique against AL Chief Sheikh Hasina and Joint General Secretary Obaidul Quader.

Tarique on November 19 filed the three cases with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court for conducting 'malicious campaign' against him. In his complaint against Jalil, Tarique quoted the AL general secretary as telling the newsmen on November 16, "Tarique's APS Apu pressurised the inspector general of police to post 15 BNP men as officers-in-charge (OCs) at different police stations under Gopalganj, Faridpur, Shariatpur and Madaripur."

In the complaint against Sheikh Hasina, Tarique mentioned that she (Hasina) told a public meeting at Paltan Maidan on November 3, "The son of 4-party alliance chief drives Tk 2 crore car, wears suit worth lakh taka and squanders thousands of crore taka in gambling abroad," and "A syndicate of 2 lakh and 86 thousand crore taka is being run at Hawa Bhaban."

In the charge against Obaidul Quader, the complainant said he (Quader) at a press briefing on November 4 said "The New York Stock Exchange has awarded Tarique Rahman with a medal. How much taka is needed to get it, what is the source of this money, people want to know."

Quader also said, "People want to know what Tarique Rahman carried in 435 suitcases and bags on his trip to Saudi Arabia for performing the Umrah? Why and how the Malaysian government has confiscated the money of Tarique?"

The petitioner said all these widely published and telecast statements of the AL leaders are false and baseless aiming to undermine his political image.