Jamaat-e-Islami wants to get its registration back

An appeal against the High Court's verdict declaring the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami invalid will be filed for re-hearing. Jamaat-e-Islami appointed lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir confirmed the matter on Saturday (August 31). He said that the application will be made next Sunday (September 1).

Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami was given temporary registration on November 4, 2008. The following year, the then Secretary General of Bangladesh Tariqat Federation, Syed Rezaul Haque Chandpuri, the then Secretary General of Zaker Party, Munsi Abdul Latif, the President of Sammilit Islami Jota, Maulana Ziaul Hasan, and 25 others filed a writ challenging the validity of Jamaat-e-Islami's registration. Jamaat-e-Islami's then Amir Matiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Election Commission and four others were made defendants in the writ. They requested to cancel the registration of Jamaat.

Justice ABM Khairul Haque (later Chief Justice) and Justice Md. Abdul Hai's High Court bench issued the ruling on January 27, 2009. After issuing the rule on the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami, it amended its constitution once in December of that year, twice in July and November 2010 and twice in October and November 2012 and submitted it to the Election Commission. In these amendments, the party's name was changed from 'Jamaate-e-Islami, Bangladesh' to 'Bangladesh Jamaate-e-Islami'.

Later on June 12, 2013, the hearing of that rule ended. On August 1 of the same year, a larger bench of the High Court comprising of Justice M Moazzam Hossain, Justice M Inayetur Rahim and Justice Kazi Reza-ul-Haq ruled that the Election Commission (EC) registration given to Jamaat-e-Islami was invalid.

At that time, the court said in a short judgment that this registration was outside the legal authority. At the same time, the court allowed Jamaat-e-Islami to appeal. However, the Appellate Division Chamber Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik dismissed Jamaat-e-Islami's application seeking a stay order on August 5 of the same year. Later, when the full verdict was published on November 2 of the same year, Jamaat-e-Islami appealed. Later, on November 19 last year, the Appellate Division dismissed Jamaat's appeal. On this day, senior lawyers Tania Amir and Ahsanul Karim appeared for the petitioners in the court. Jamaat-e-Islami lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali was advocated. Ziaur Rahman.

On that day, lawyer Ziaur Rahman said that our senior lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali had personal difficulties. And Advocate on Record Zainul Abedin was also absent. I asked for six weeks due to this personal difficulty. As our lawyers were not present, the court dismissed it for default. That is, the lawyer dismissed for not being present. However, there is an opportunity to apply for restora (rehearing). In that case it is the jurisdiction of the court.

Then in January 2024, the Awami League government came to power again. Anti-discrimination students started a movement against the quota system from last July. Awami government started genocide to suppress the students. The students called for the downfall of the government. Among them, on August 1, the government banned Jamaat-e-Islami along with its organization. After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, Jamaat-e-Islami took the initiative to cancel the ban petition. On August 28, the government revoked the earlier ban order.

In this regard, lawyer Shishir Monir said, our first step was to cancel the prohibition order. It has been cancelled. Now the next step is to apply for a rehearing of the registration case in the Appellate Division. An application will be made to the Court of Chambers Judge for revival of this registration case.

Bangladesh /KH