Bangladesh top court upholds ban on largest Islamist party

Dhaka, November 19

Bangladesh’s highest court on Sunday dismissed an appeal by the country’s largest Islamist party seeking to overturn a 2013 ruling that barred it from participating in elections for violating the constitutional provision of secularism Bangladesh is set to hold its next national elections on January 7.

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan handed out the ruling. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s main lawyer did not appear before the court due to “personal problems” and his petition, filed previously, seeking to postpone the hearing for six weeks was also rejected.

The High Court’s decision 10 years ago canceled the party’s registration with the Election Commission, thus stopping it from participating in elections or using party symbols. But it did not ban it from political particpation. The ruling, at the time, came amid calls to ban the party for opposing the country’s 1971 independence war against Pakistan. Sheikh Hasina’s government, after coming to power in 2009, sought to try Jamaat-e-Islami’s top leaders for their role in acts of genocide and war crimes. — Agencies