The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court is set to deliver its verdict tomorrow (June 1) in the appeal filed by Jamaat-e-Islami seeking the reinstatement of its registration as a political party.

According to the court’s cause list, the case appears first on Sunday’s agenda for the four-member bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed.

The bench scheduled the ruling on May 14 after completing hearings from both sides. Senior Advocate Ehsan Siddique and Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir appeared for the petitioner.

The appeal was initially dismissed in November 2023 after Jamaat’s lead counsel failed to appear. However, the Appellate Division revived the appeal on October 22, 2024, allowing the case to proceed.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration was declared illegal by the High Court on August 1, 2013, following the resolution of a writ petition. Subsequently, the Election Commission issued a gazette notification on December 7, 2018, formally cancelling the party’s registration.

The party later challenged the High Court verdict before the Appellate Division.

In a separate move, the then Awami League government imposed a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, on August 1, 2024. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the ban under Section 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, citing affiliation with proscribed activities.

However, the ban was lifted on August 28, 2024, through a gazette notification revoking the earlier order.

SMS/