Jamaat-e-Islami lawyer Shishir Munir said that this decision is an important step towards a democratic and multi-party system in Bangladesh.
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has restored the electoral registration of the country’s religious political party Jamaat-e-Islami.
The ruling means the party is now eligible to contest elections again, after it was banned in 2013.
Jamaat-e-Islami lawyer Shishir Munir said the ruling was an important step towards a democratic, inclusive and multi-party system in Bangladesh.
“We hope that all Bangladeshis, regardless of their race or religion, will vote for the party, and that parliament will become a centre for constructive debate,” he added.
The ruling comes after the Supreme Court on May 27 overturned the conviction of the party’s leader ATM Azharul Islam. He was sentenced to death in 2014 on charges of murder, rape and genocide related to the 1971 Bangladesh-Pakistan war.
It should be noted that Jamaat-e-Islami sided with Pakistan in that war, which still causes anger and division among many Bangladeshis today.
The party was banned during the tenure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and dozens of its leaders were arrested.
Sheikh Hasina herself, on the other hand, is now a fugitive in a crimes against humanity case. She is accused of killing protesters at the hands of police, and her trial is set to begin on Sunday.
According to the prosecution, Hasina will be charged with five charges, including conspiracy to commit genocide, incitement, facilitation and failure to prevent it.
The trial is likely to be broadcast live on state TV.
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