Verdict on Jamaat's appeal for registration restoration tops Sunday’s cause list

The Supreme Court has scheduled the verdict on the appeal challenging the High Court's ruling that declared Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's registration illegal for Sunday, June 1. 

The case is listed first on Sunday's cause list.

According to the Supreme Court’s cause list, the matter will be heard by a four-member Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, for the verdict.

On May 14, after hearing the appeal, the court fixed June 1 for the verdict. Senior lawyer Ehsan A Siddique and lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir represented Jamaat-e-Islami, while lawyer Touhidul Islam appeared for the Election Commission.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s acting secretary general Maulana ATM Masum, assistant secretary general Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Jobayer, Advocate Moazzem Hossain Helal, executive council member Mubarak Hossain, Dhaka Metropolitan South Amir Nurul Islam Bulbul, and Dhaka Metropolitan North Amir Selim Uddin attended the court during the hearing.

On August 1, 2013, the High Court, in response to a writ petition, declared Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration invalid. Subsequently, on December 7, 2018, the Election Commission issued a notification cancelling the party’s registration. Jamaat-e-Islami then appealed the High Court’s verdict.

During the appeal hearing, the absence of Jamaat’s main lawyer led the Appellate Division, under then-Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan, to dismiss the appeal as "dismissed for default" in November. 

This upheld the High Court’s ruling that declared Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration as a political party illegal.

Amid the anti-discrimination student uprising, the government of Sheikh Hasina banned Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliate, Islami Chhatra Shibir, on August 1 under Section 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act. However, on August 28, the ban on both organizations was lifted through a notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Meanwhile, an appeal was filed to revive the High Court’s verdict declaring Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration illegal. Lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir stated that the pending case in the Appellate Division was not fully heard and was dismissed for default. A petition was filed to restore the case.

On October 22, the restoration application was approved, allowing the appeal hearing to resume on its merits, paving the way for Jamaat-e-Islami’s legal battle to restore its registration.