SC hearing on Jamaat's appeal over registration adjourned till Jan 21

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) has adjourned the hearing on a plea filed by the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami till January 21, challenging the judgment of the High Court (HC) that declared the registration of the party illegal.

A four-member Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order on Tuesday after hearing in part of the civil petition filed by the party.

Barrister Ehsan A Siddiq and Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir moved the plea before the court for Jamaat for the second day.

The Appellate Division started its hearing on the plea on December 3, 2024. Jamaat's counsels in their arguments said the writ, which initiated the whole process to cancel Jamaat's registration, was politically motivated.

The apex court on October 22, 2024, restored Jamaat-e-Islami's appeal against the High Court verdict, paving the way for the party to take part in the hearing on an appeal against the 2013 judgment that had declared its registration as a political party, illegal.

The High Court on August 1, 2013, declared illegal Jamaat's registration as a political party. A three-member greater bench of the High Court comprising Justice M Moazzem Hossain, Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Kazi Reza-ul-Huq delivered the judgment on the majority.

The judgment said that the registration given to Jamaat by the Election Commission (EC) was beyond lawful authority.