The Appellate Division of Supreme Court sent the brief order, reinstating Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami`s registration and overturning a previous High Court verdict that had declared the political party illegal, to Election Commission (EC) on Sunday.

The order was signed and released on Sunday (June 1) afternoon by a four-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed.

Earlier in the day, the same bench had directed the Election Commission to reinstate Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration without delay. However, the Commission has been left to decide whether the party will retain its previous electoral symbol.

Representing Jamaat-e-Islami in court were Barrister Ehsan Abdullah Siddique, Barrister Imran Abdullah Siddique, Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir, Barrister Najib Momen, and Barrister Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem.

The appeal hearing regarding the party’s deregistration and request to restore its electoral symbol concluded on May 14, and the verdict was scheduled for June 1. The legal proceedings began on March 12, when the Appellate Division revived a previously dismissed appeal challenging the party’s deregistration. This reinstatement cleared the way for Jamaat to pursue legal avenues to reclaim both its registration and its election symbol.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration was originally cancelled by the High Court on August 1, 2013, through a verdict following a public interest litigation. The Election Commission subsequently issued a formal notification cancelling the party’s registration on December 7, 2018.

Following that, Jamaat-e-Islami filed an appeal against the High Court ruling. However, in November last year, the appeal was dismissed “for default” by a six-member Appellate Division bench led by then Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, after the party’s lead counsel failed to appear for the hearing. This effectively upheld the High Court’s declaration that Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration as a political party was invalid—until today’s reversal.