Bangladesh Supreme Court Reinstates Jamaat-e-Islami’s Party Registration

Dhaka : In a landmark decision, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has ordered the Election Commission to reinstate the registration of the right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami party, marking a significant political development ahead of upcoming national elections. The ruling comes nearly eight months after the interim government lifted a long-standing ban on the party.

The directive was issued by the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed. The court left it to the discretion of the Election Commission to decide whether Jamaat could use its traditional “scale” symbol in future elections.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration was revoked in 2013 when the Supreme Court ruled that the party was unfit to contest elections due to its ideological stance and alleged involvement in anti-liberation activities. Following the political shift after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on August 5, 2024, the party filed a petition seeking a review of the 2013 verdict.

The ruling further bolsters Jamaat’s resurgence in national politics, coming just a week after the Supreme Court acquitted ATM Azharul Islam, a senior Jamaat leader previously sentenced to death for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

Since the Awami League’s decline, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has re-emerged as a major political force. The reinstatement of Jamaat adds another dynamic to the shifting political landscape.

Meanwhile, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD), originally established in 2009 to try collaborators of the Pakistani army, is reportedly preparing to prosecute senior Awami League leaders and government officials on similar charges for their role in the crackdown on last year’s anti-government protests.

This decision marks a turning point in Bangladesh’s evolving political and judicial landscape.