Three crucial issues of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest and most organized Islamist party, are now pending with the Supreme Court for disposal.
Although leaders and activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, played an important role during the July-August uprising that led to the fall of the Awami League government, but the party men expressed their extreme anger for not releasing its leader ATM Azharul Islam, no progress in reinstatement of the party's electoral symbol "scale", and restoration of the party's registration, which is currently pending with Supreme Court for disposal.
As these three important issues of Jamaat-e-Islami have not been resolved yet, there is extreme anger among the party's leaders and supporters. Expressions of anger have already emerged in the speeches and statements of the party's leaders at various times.
Earlier on February 19, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman warned that the government would be forced to accept their demands, including the release of former assistant secretary general ATM Azharul Islam, through an unstoppable movement.
The Jamaat chief came up with warning at a rally organised by Jamaat's Dhaka north and south units at Paltan, which was part of a centrally declared programme demanding the release of Azharul, reinstatement of the party's electoral symbol "scale", and restoration of the party's registration.
Jamaat's former Assistant Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam, who was sentenced to death by International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against the tribunal order. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on the appeal on April 22.
The registration case of Jamaat-e-Islami as a party is still pending in the Appellate Division. The issue of getting the party symbol, the scales, back is also pending with the Supreme Court decision.
Jamaat's lawyers have expressed their hope of getting the party's registration and symbol back through a legal battle in the Appellate Division. At the same time, the lawyers also expressed hoped about the release of ATM Azharul Islam through a legal battle.
"We hope that we will get Jamaat-e-Islami's registration and symbol of the party back through a legal battle from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court," Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir, one of the counsel for Jamaat said.
When asked, the lawyer also expressed hopes that Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam would be acquitted in the verdict of the Appellate Division.
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman said that during this crisis, Azharul was serving as the party's acting secretary general. Awami League unjustly kept him in prison for 13 years under false, baseless, and politically motivated charges.
THE ISSUES* Release of Azharul Islam
* Restoration of party electoral symbol
* Reinstatement of registration with EC
He questioned the interim government, asking, "Even though the country has been freed from fascism, why has Azharul Islam not been released?" He demanded a clear timeline for his release. "We are dealing with the situation with extreme patience, but everything has a limit," the Jamaat chief warned.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court started the hearing on the appeal filed by Jamaat-e-Islami challenging a High Court verdict that scrapped its registration with the Election Commission as a political party.
Since January 2025, the four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, held hearing for several days on the appeal, with Jamaat's lawyer Ehsan A Siddiq placing arguments.
On October 22 last year, the apex court restored the appeal for a hearing following a petition filed by Jamaat-e-Islami.
On that day, Mohammad Shishir Manir, told media that if the Appellate Division allows the appeal after holding a hearing on it, Jamaat will get back its registration and be able to participate in the elections.
On September 1 last year, Jamaat Secretary General Miah Golam Parwar submitted the restoration petition seeking necessary directives.
On November 19, 2023, a five-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Obaidul Hassan, the chief justice at the time, dismissed Jamaat's appeal for "default" as its counsel did not appear before the court on that day.
Maulana Syed Rezaul Haque Chandpuri, secretary general of the Bangladesh Tariqat Federation, along with 24 others, filed a writ petition with the HC on January 25, 2009, seeking an order declaring the Jamaat's registration illegal.
The petitioners said that the Jamaat is a religion-based political party, and it does not believe in the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh.
Following the petition, the HC on August 1, 2013, declared Jamaat's registration with the EC illegal.
The EC scrapped Jamaat's registration in October 2018, ahead of the 11th national election.
In the verdict, two judges of the three-member HC bench declared the registration illegal. However, the other judge disagreed with the decision of his two colleagues.
Jamaat filed an appeal with the apex court at that time challenging the HC verdict.
Regarding the next hearing, Mohammad Shishir Manir, said "The trial will begin in the Appellate Division on April 20 after the vacation and Eid holidays. We hope that the Jamaat's registration case will come up for hearing in the Appellate Division on April 22."
In response to a question, Shishir Manir said that these three important issues of Jamaat would be resolved in the Appellate Division very soon.
