‘This is first  where political party`s registration cancelled through HC verdict’

Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed has said that this is the first in Bangladesh’s history where a political party’s registration was cancelled through a High Court verdict.

The Chief Justice made the observation on Tuesday during the hearing of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on the appeal seeking restoration of Jamaat-e-Islami's registration.

During the hearing, senior lawyer Ehsan Abdullah Siddiq represented Jamaat along with lawyers Shishir Monir.
Lawyer Tawhidul Islam represented the Election Commission (EC).

The hearing on Jamaat’s appeal originally began on 12 March this year but has since been deferred multiple times.

On 7 May this year, the Appellate Division fixed 13 May to resume the appeal hearing on Jamaat's petition for reinstatement of its registration and electoral symbol.

On 1 August 2013, the High Court declared Jamaat's registration as a political party illegal and void, following the disposal of a writ petition. Subsequently, on 7 December 2018, the EC formally cancelled the party's registration through a gazette notification.

Jamaat later appealed the High Court verdict. However, in November 2023, the Appellate Division, led by then Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, dismissed Jamaat's appeal for default as the party's principal lawyer failed to appear for the hearing. As a result, the High Court's verdict declaring Jamaat's registration illegal remained in effect.

On 22 October last year, the Appellate Division revived a previously dismissed appeal by Jamaat, seeking to regain its registration as a political party.