Jamaat’s registration: Appellate Division adjourns hearing till tomorrow
“This is the first instance in Bangladesh’s history where a political party’s registration was cancelled through a High Court verdict,” says the chief justice in an observation during the hearing
Highlights
- SC has adjourned the hearing on Jamaat-e-Islami's appeal till 14 May
- A four-member bench led by Chief Justice resumed the hearing on 13 May
- Jamaat's registration was declared illegal by the HC in 2013 and cancelled by the EC in 2018
- The appeal hearing began on 12 March 2024 and has faced multiple delays
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing till tomorrow (14 May) on the appeal seeking restoration of Jamaat-e-Islami's registration as a political party and its electoral symbol, scale.
A four-member appeals bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed issued the order after resuming the hearing this morning (13 May).
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During the hearing, which commenced at 10am, senior lawyer Ehsan Abdullah Siddiq represented Jamaat along with lawyers Shishir Monir, Imran Abdullah Siddique, and Nazib Momen. Lawyer Tawhidul Islam represented the Election Commission (EC).
"This is the first instance in Bangladesh's history where a political party's registration was cancelled through a High Court verdict," said the chief justice in an observation during the hearing.
Top Jamaat leaders, including Acting Secretary General Maulana ATM Masum, Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, and Advocate Moazzem Hossain Helal, were present in the courtroom during the hearing.
On 1 August 2013, the High Court declared Jamaat's registration as a political party illegal and void, following the disposal of a writ petition. Subsequently, on 7 December 2018, the EC formally cancelled the party's registration through a gazette notification.
Jamaat later appealed the High Court verdict. However, in November 2023, the Appellate Division, led by then Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, dismissed Jamaat's appeal for default as the party's principal lawyer failed to appear for the hearing. As a result, the High Court's verdict declaring Jamaat's registration illegal remained in effect.
The hearing on Jamaat's appeal originally began on 12 March this year but has since been deferred multiple times.
On 22 October last year, the Appellate Division revived a previously dismissed appeal by Jamaat, seeking to regain its registration as a political party. This move reopened the legal path for the party to fight for the restoration of its registration and its electoral symbol.
Earlier, on 1 September, the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division had set 22 October for the hearing on Jamaat's petition to revive the dismissed appeal.
Jamaat had filed the revival petition after its original appeal – challenging the cancellation of its registration – was dismissed by the Appellate Division.
On 7 May this year, the Appellate Division fixed 13 May to resume the appeal hearing on Jamaat's petition for reinstatement of its registration and electoral symbol.
