The Bangladesh Supreme Court has officially lifted the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Muslim political party, more than a decade after it was barred under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.
This decision now allows Jamaat-e-Islami to regain registration with the Election Commission, clearing the path for its participation in the next general elections, which the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has promised by June next year.
Jamaat’s lawyer, Shishir Monir, said the ruling marks a step toward a “democratic, inclusive, and multiparty system” in the nation of 170 million. The party had been appealing the 2013 high court decision that canceled its registration.
The ruling also follows the Supreme Court’s overturning of the conviction against key Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam, who was previously sentenced to death for crimes during the 1971 war of independence. Jamaat leaders, including Shafiqur Rahman, have expressed regret for any past mistakes, seeking public forgiveness.
This development comes as the interim government has also suspended the activities of the Awami League, Sheikh Hasina’s party, pending legal outcomes related to last year’s violent protests, which reportedly led to over 1,400 deaths.
