Jamaat to get back registration with 'scales' symbol: EC

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to return the registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami with the symbol of the scales (Dāripalla)

Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah informed reporters after the sixth commission meeting at the  Nirbachan Bhaban this afternoon (4 June).

Regarding the court order to return the registration of Jamaat, he said, "We have taken the issue of the symbol into consideration. The party was given registration with the symbol in 2008. Besides, if a symbol is given to a party, it is reserved for that party as per the RPO. The party will get registration with the symbol."

EC Sanaullah also said the scales symbol was cancelled in 2016 based on a full court decision of the court. "This was an administrative letter that the then Election Commission received through the registrar and took this action in light of it."

'But the application of Jamaat-e-Islam has come to us along with a writ petition and its order. The writ petition was filed in 2006. An appeal was filed in this regard stating that the scales cannot be a symbol of any party, as it is a symbol of justice in the court. The court dismissed that appeal at that time and said that using it as an election symbol will not in any way detract from the standard of the court," the commissioner further explained.

"This verdict is still in force as far as we know. Considering all these things, the Election Commission has decided in principle that Jamaat-e-Islam will get back the scales symbol. That is, they will get their party symbol and registration back," he added.

EC Sanaullah, however, stated that it will take some time for the Jamaat to get back its party symbol. "There is a little official process, SRO will have to be done, it will take some time. In addition, we are increasing the symbol for the non-political party. We have 69 symbols, we want to take them to 100 symbols. This whole work will be done together."