June 1, 2025
2 mins read

Bangladesh SC Flips Script on Jamaat-e-Islami

The top court also directed the Election Commission (EC) to implement the order without delay….reports Asian Lite News

In a contentious decision, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on Sunday reinstated the registration of the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, overturning a prior High Court verdict that had deemed the party’s registration unlawful.

According to local media reports, the top court also directed the Election Commission (EC) to implement the order without delay.

However, the court refrained from issuing any directive regarding the party’s electoral symbol, the “scales,” leaving that decision to the discretion of the EC.

The verdict was delivered by a four-member Appellate Bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, as reported by a leading Bangladeshi daily, The Dhaka Tribune.

This development comes just days after the same court acquitted Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam, overturning the death sentence handed to him by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.

The charge sheet had accused Islam of killing 1,256 people, abducting 17, and raping 13 women in the Rangpur region during the war.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s legal battle to regain its political status traces back to August 1, 2013, when the High Court declared its registration illegal in response to a writ petition.

The Election Commission followed suit by formally cancelling the registration through a gazette notification in December 2018.

Although Jamaat appealed the High Court’s verdict, the Appellate Division dismissed the appeal in November 2023 due to the absence of the party’s lead counsel.

As a result, the High Court verdict had remained in effect — until now.

The party’s recent legal resurgence followed the ouster of the Awami League government, led by Sheikh Hasina, in a violent mass uprising last year.

In the wake of the upheaval, Jamaat filed a fresh petition seeking to revive its appeal and regain its status as a registered political party.

In October, the Appellate Division accepted Jamaat’s petition, setting the stage for Sunday’s ruling.

The interim government under Muhammad Yunus, which assumed power following the fall of the Awami League, had earlier lifted the ban on Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, through a gazette notification.

These groups had been declared illegal political entities under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009 by the previous administration.

These radical elements played a key role in the student-led agitation that led to the toppling of Sheikh Hasina’s democratically elected government.

Previous Story

UAE aid for Gaza in global focus

Next Story

Africa CDC Sounds Mpox Alarm

Latest from -Top News

Oman Breaks Gulf Taboo on Income Tax

There is no other country in the 6-member Gulf Cooperation Council that imposes income tax….reports Asian Lite News Oman has officially become the first Gulf country to introduce a personal income tax,

Fresh Israeli Raids Hit Iran

The strikes came shortly after Iran fired a missile at Israel before dawn and triggered air raid sirens across much of the country….reports Asian Lite News Israel conducted a new wave of

Awami League Blasts Yunus ‘Propaganda’

Sheikh Hasina’s party slammed Ordinance No. 30, 2025, calling state recognition of the event an attempt to legitimise an “unconstitutional and unethical conspiracy….reports Asian Lite News Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League has strongly

Netanyahu: Iran Goals Near

Netanyahu pledged not to let Israel get dragged into a “war of attrition” with Tehran…reports Asian Lite News Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Sunday that Israel is “very close” to
Go toTop

Don't Miss

UNICEF Alarmed by Rising Child Crimes in Bangladesh

The agency’s monitoring revealed that from January 2025 to March

Election Day in Bangladesh

The counting of votes will be done on the spot