Hearing on Jamaat appeal against scrapping registration soon

Dhaka, Feb 17 – Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on Sunday said that his office would take an initiative soon for hearing at the Appellate Division on the 2013 appeal against the High Court verdict that declared illegal the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami with the Election Commission.
The chief law officer of the state said this while responding reporter’s query at a press briefing held at his Supreme Court office yesterday.
“The recognition of Jamaat as a political party had been cancelled following the High Court verdict declaring illegal Jamaat registration to the EC. An appeal is now pending with the Appellate Division in
this regard. So, Prime Minister recently rightly said that it is not being possible to pass executive order over sub-judice matter. We will try to hold hearing of the matter soon,” Alam said.
The trial of war crimes will continue, the attorney general said, adding “It does not matter whether they seek apology or not.”
Relating to the Jamaat registration, the chief law officer of the sate explained, “What is the main aim of a political party? Go to power, right? They have to take part in election to go to power. If the party has no ‘license’ whatever, how come they will take part in election?
The party that is willing to do politics with the approval of the Election Commission is called underground party.”
Alam further said people will not accept such kind of politics as the state too is not bound to provide any facility to them (party). So the reality is, if you want to do politics, you have to have the permission of the EC.
Responding to another query, Alam said that Awami League secretary general Obaidul Quader has already made an observation about the resignation of Jamaat top leader Barrister Abdur Razzaq from his
party. There is nothing important on whether the Jamaat would seek apology to the nation or not for their misdeed during the Liberation War in 1971.
They may have understood that if they would not seek apology to the nation, they have to face serious consequence in the near future.
Hence, they might have decided to seek apology, he noted. In response to another query, Alam said that if the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upholds the High Court verdict regarding cancellation of Jamaat’s registration, the party (Jamaat) cannot operate as a political party in the country.
On February 6, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told the parliament that the government has nothing to do about banning the Jamaat-e-Islami right now as a case in this regard is pending at a court.
On August 1, 2013, following a writ petition, a three-member special HC bench by a majority view declared illegal the registration of Jamaat as a political party and ruled that its registration has no legal effect.
The same year, Jamaat, a component of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, filed an appeal and a leave-to-appeal petition with the Appellate Division challenging the HC verdict.
On October 29 last year, the EC scrapped the registration of Jamaat and issued a gazette notification to this end, blocking the party from contesting the national polls. – Staff Reporter