Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has instructed the Election Commission to reinstate the registration of the right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami party, following nearly eight months after a temporary government lifted a ban on it. The ruling, made by the Appellate Division under Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, mandates the commission to restore the party’s status. Additionally, the court has left it to the Election Commission to determine whether Jamaat can participate in elections using its traditional “scale” symbol.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration was originally canceled by the Bangladesh Supreme Court in 2013, with the ruling deeming the party unfit to participate in national elections. Following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on August 5, 2024, the party appealed for a review of this 2013 decision. This recent verdict further strengthens Jamaat, arriving just a week after the same apex court released one of its leading figures, ATM Azharul Islam, who was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War, where he sided with Pakistani forces.
In the current political landscape, in the absence of the Awami League, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), under former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has emerged as a significant force. Since 2009, Bangladesh has pursued a legal process to prosecute collaborators of the Pakistani military from the Liberation War for crimes against humanity and genocide through its International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD). The tribunal is now poised to put senior Awami League leaders and government officials on trial for similar accusations related to their response to last year’s violent protests against the government.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2025/06/02/bangladesh-top-court-restores-jamaat-e-islamis-party-registration/
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Publish Date: 2025-06-02 03:50:00
