The Appellate Division on Sunday directed the Election Commission (EC) to restore Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration, overturning a previous High Court (HC) verdict that had declared the party’s registration illegal.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, passed the order.

In its observation, the court noted that it would be up to the EC to decide whether Jamaat can contest elections using the ‘Scale’ symbol.

The verdict came days after Jamaat’s senior leader, ATM Azharul Islam, previously sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War, was released following a Supreme Court judgment.

Jamaat’s counsel, Mohammad Shishir Manir, expressed satisfaction with the verdict, saying, “Today concludes a decade-long legal battle. We hope this ruling paves the way for a vibrant parliament and that voters will now be free to vote for the Jamaat candidate of their choice.”

He also expressed the hope that the EC would promptly resolve the party's registration and symbol-related issues. According to legal experts, this ruling removes all existing legal barriers that had prevented the party from participating in national elections.

On August 1, 2013, the High Court had declared Jamaat’s registration illegal and void, following the disposal of a writ petition.

The EC subsequently issued a gazette notification on 7 December 2018, formally cancelling the party’s registration. Jamaat later filed an appeal against the HC verdict. However, in November 2023, the Appellate Division—then led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan—dismissed the appeal by default as the party’s lead counsel failed to appear.

Consequently, the HC’s verdict remained in effect. The Appellate Division revived Jamaat’s appeal on 22 October 2023. The hearing formally began on 12 March this year and, after several deferrals, concluded on 14 May. The court then fixed 13 May for the verdict, which was delivered today.