SC Directs Reinstatement of Jamaat’s Registration

SC Scraps 2013 HC Verdict, Paves Way for Jamaat’s Return to Politics

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday overturned the 2013 High Court verdict that had declared Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration as a political party illegal. A four-member bench, led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, unanimously allowed Jamaat’s appeal and disposed of its leave-to-appeal petitions, effectively removing legal barriers to the party's political activities.

The court directed the Election Commission (EC) to resolve Jamaat’s registration and any related issues—including electoral symbols—by exercising its full constitutional authority.

The 2013 High Court ruling had found Jamaat’s charter and ideology incompatible with the Constitution. However, the Appellate Division ruled that the judgment was “not justified” and voided it.

The verdict was reserved on May 14 after hearings and announced on June 1 at 10:00 am.

‘Scales’ Symbol Petition Withdrawn

The Supreme Court also accepted Jamaat’s withdrawal of a petition seeking the return of its traditional ‘scales’ symbol, which had been removed from the EC’s list following a 2016 Supreme Court decision reserving it for judiciary use. Jamaat had initially challenged that decision on May 12, but later requested to treat the matter as under EC jurisdiction. The court accepted the withdrawal without further comment.

Senior lawyers Ehsan S Siddique, Imran S Siddique, and Shishir Manir appeared for Jamaat, while advocate Tawhidul Islam represented the EC.

Lawyer: Registration and Symbol Should Now Be Restored

Following the ruling, Jamaat’s lawyer Shishir Manir said the EC is now obliged to promptly reinstate the party’s registration and address symbol allocation.

Background

Jamaat was registered with the EC in 2008, but its legitimacy was challenged the following year. The High Court declared the registration illegal in August 2013. The EC subsequently revoked it in December 2018. After various legal hurdles—including a dismissal for default in 2023—Jamaat’s appeal was restored and taken up for hearing from December 2023.

In August 2024, the previous government had banned Jamaat and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir. That ban was overturned by the interim administration after the previous regime collapsed in the face of mass protests.