Bangladesh’s main Islamist party was on Thursday barred from contesting next year’s elections when judges declared its charter breached the secular constitution, sparking warnings of fresh violence in the volatile nation.
Amid tight security outside the court in central Dhaka, a panel of judges approved a long-running petition that argued Jamaat-i-Islami should never have been allowed to register as a political party.
“It (Jamaat’s registration) is hereby declared illegal,” said Moazzem Hossain, the senior judge hearing the case said, as he read out the brief verdict.
The country’s election commission said the ruling meant Jamaat could not stand in a general election scheduled to be held in January.
A lawyer for Jamaat however said the party intended to appeal the verdict, accusing the three-judge panel of caving in to government pressure.
A lawyer for the Election Commission, which oversees preparations for next year’s polls, said the ruling meant Jamaat could not field candidates.
“As a party, Jamaat’s registration with the Election Commission is declared illegal, with the consequence that they cannot contest the election as a political party,” Shahdeen Malik said.
“The party can still carry on with other political activities. If it amends its charter, to bring it in conformity with the constitution and reapplies for registration, it can be re-registered,” Malik added.
There were fears ahead of the ruling that it could trigger fresh protests by Jamaat supporters in a country already reeling from violence over war crimes verdicts passed on Jamaat’s top leadership.
Police and members of the elite Rapid Action Battalion were deployed outside the court but there were no immediate reports of violence.
The ruling comes after groups filed the public interest litigation in January 2009 seeking to scrap Jamaat’s registration.
Senior Jamaat official Abdullah Taher said the party was in a state of shock, claiming the court had bowed to pressure from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s secular government. “We are stunned. The ruling reflects the will of the government,” Taher said.