Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed stated that the High Court’s decision to cancel Jamaat-e-Islami’s political party registration is a first in the history of Bangladesh. He made this remark during the hearing of Jamaat-e-Islami’s appeal to reinstate its registration on May 13 (Tuesday) morning in the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division bench.
The Chief Justice noted, “This is the first time in history that the registration of a political party has been canceled through a High Court ruling.”
During the hearing, senior lawyer Ehsan A. Siddique and lawyer Shishir Monir represented Jamaat-e-Islami, while lawyer Touhidul Islam appeared on behalf of the Election Commission (EC).
Jamaat-e-Islami began using the scale symbol in 1986 and was granted temporary registration by the Election Commission in 2008. However, in 2013, the High Court declared Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration illegal. Subsequently, on October 28, 2018, the Election Commission formally canceled the party’s registration.
Furthermore, in 2016, the Supreme Court imposed a ban on the use of the scale symbol by political parties. In 2017, the Election Commission amended the election laws to remove the scale symbol, preventing its use by any political party. As a result, Jamaat-e-Islami has been unable to participate in local and national elections under its party banner due to the cancellation of its registration.
