The Supreme Court’s Appellate Division has begun hearing the appeal filed by Jamaat-e-Islami to regain its political party registration, which was previously cancelled. The hearing commenced on Tuesday, May 13, at 10 a.m. before a full bench of seven justices, headed by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed.
Present in the courtroom were Jamaat’s Acting Secretary General Maulana ATM Masum, Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zobair, and Advocate Moazzem Hossain Helal.
Previously, on May 7, the court set May 13 for the hearing. Notably, on October 22, 2023, the Appellate Division revived Jamaat’s previously rejected appeal, reopening the legal path for the party to potentially regain its registration and electoral symbol — the balance scale (দাঁড়িপাল্লা).
Jamaat-e-Islami has been using the balance scale as its election symbol since the 1986 general elections. The Election Commission granted the party temporary registration on November 4, 2008. However, following legal challenges by leaders from several Islamic parties, the High Court on August 1, 2013, declared the party’s registration illegal. As a result, the EC officially cancelled Jamaat’s registration in 2018.
In 2016, the Supreme Court administration recommended that the Election Commission prohibit use of the balance scale symbol by any political party, as it represents justice and is part of the Supreme Court’s official monogram. Consequently, in 2017, the EC amended the electoral code and removed the symbol from the list of official election symbols.
Due to the loss of its registration, Jamaat has been unable to participate in national or local elections under its party banner for several years. The party has claimed that the cancellation and removal of its symbol were politically motivated and is now seeking to restore both through legal channels.
During the anti-discrimination student-led protests on August 1, 2023, the government declared Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act. However, that decision was reversed on August 28 of the same year through a new government gazette.
Currently, the Election Commission has 50 registered political parties, each with its own election symbol. Jamaat is among 46 additional parties that have applied for registration, many of which have requested more time to complete the process. According to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), party registration is mandatory to contest elections under a party symbol — making the outcome of Jamaat’s appeal highly significant for its political future.
