Jamaat-e-Islami's Electoral Comeback: A Political Twist in Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Election Commission has officially reinstated the registration and electoral symbol of the rightwing Jamaat-e-Islami party, according to a recent local media report. This decision was conveyed on Tuesday through a gazette notification endorsed by the Senior Secretary of the Election Commission, Akhtar Ahmed, as reported by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.

On June 1, Bangladesh's Supreme Court ordered the Election Commission to restore the Jamaat-e-Islami's party registration, ending an eight-month hiatus since the interim government lifted a previous ban. This move paves the way for Jamaat-e-Islami to engage in forthcoming elections, marking a significant political development. The party's registration was annulled in December 2018, following a 2013 Supreme Court ruling declaring the party unfit for national elections due to its opposition to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from Pakistan.

In a dramatic political turn, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's administration imposed a complete ban on Jamaat days before she was ousted on August 5, 2024, amid a vigorous mass protest led by the Students against Discrimination (SAD) platform. Jamaat, alongside several other parties, had supported the SAD. Post-Hasina's ouster, Jamaat sought a reassessment of the 2013 court order that banned it.

(With inputs from agencies.)