The Appellate Division has overturned the High Court’s verdict that had declared the registration of Bangladesh Jamat-e-Islami as a political party invalid. Alongside this ruling, the court has directed the Election Commission (EC) to restore the party’s registration. However, no directive was issued regarding Jamat’s traditional election symbol, the “scale.” The Appellate Division advised the Election Commission to make a decision on that matter independently.
The High Court had canceled Jamat’s registration as a political party during the tenure of the previous Awami League government. Now, more than a decade later, the Appellate Division has nullified that ruling.
The verdict came from a four-member Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, following the hearing of Jamat-e-Islami’s appeal against the High Court decision. The other justices on the bench were Justice Md. Ashfaqul Islam, Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, and Justice Md. Rezaul Haque.
The case was listed as the number one item on Sunday’s cause list. The court had concluded the hearing on May 14 and fixed June 1 for the announcement of the verdict.
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This historic ruling clears the way for Jamat-e-Islami to return to electoral politics after a long absence. It also opens the possibility of the party participating in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election, potentially under its own electoral symbol.
The legitimacy of Jamat’s registration with the Election Commission had been challenged through a writ petition filed in 2009. After hearing the case, the High Court ruled on August 1, 2013, declaring Jamaat’s registration invalid based on a majority opinion. The court, however, granted leave to appeal, and the matter was formally brought before the Appellate Division in the same year. Jamaat-e-Islami filed a regular leave to appeal in 2013.
Notably, before being overthrown in the July mass uprising, the then Awami League government declared Jamat banned as a political party on August 1 of the previous year.
