Jamaat’s 'scales' symbol included in EC website
The Election Commission (EC) today (16 July) included Jamaat-e-Islami's electoral symbol 'scales' (Dāripalla) on its website.
Akhtar Ahmed, senior secretary of the EC Secretariat, confirmed that 'Daripalla' has been added as the symbol next to the registered party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on the EC website today.
The Election Commission issued a gazette on 3 July reinstating the registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami along with its electoral symbol "Dāripalla".
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Earlier on 4 June, Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah told reporters that the party symbol of scales 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.
On 1 June, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has overturned a High Court ruling that had declared the registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party illegal.
The court has also directed the Election Commission (EC) to reinstate the party's registration.
The history of Jamaat's registration has been long and complicated.
After the High Court's 2013 ruling, the Election Commission formally cancelled Jamaat's registration through a gazette notification on 7 December 2018. Jamaat later appealed this decision, but in November 2023, the Appellate Division, led by then Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, dismissed the party's appeal as its lawyer failed to appear for the hearing.
In October 2024, the Appellate Division revived the dismissed appeal, paving the way for Jamaat to argue its case once more.
Hearings resumed on 13 May this year and concluded on 14 May, leading to today's final verdict in favour of Jamaat's reinstatement.
