Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is set to regain its registration along with its traditional election symbol, the Scales (Dāripalla), very soon, a member of the Election Commission said on Wednesday.
“Jamaat-e-Islami will soon get back its registration. We are taking necessary steps. The Election Commission has made a decision in this regard,” Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah told reporters following a meeting at the Election Commission Secretariat in Agargaon.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin presided over the meeting, which was attended by other commissioners and senior officials.
Speaking about the party’s electoral symbol, Commissioner Sanaullah said the EC has taken a policy decision to return the scales symbol to Jamaat-e-Islami.
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While taking the decision to return ‘Scales’ symbol to Jamaat, the EC considered the Appellate Division’s directive to return the status quo ante, the registration notification issued on November 05, 2008 that awarded registration with ‘Scales’ symbol to Jamaat, the Article 90F (1) (b) of Representation of People Order (RPO) 1972 that states the symbols so allotted shall be kept reserved for it, unless it indicates its preference for any other prescribed symbol available, and other court’s directives and observations.
“Considering everything, the Election Commission has taken a decision in principle to give back its previous ‘Scales’ symbol to Jamaat-e-Islami. That means they will get back their party’s registration and symbol,” he said.
The Election Commissioner, however, said it will take time to get back the electoral symbol ‘Scales’ by completing the official process.
He said the EC has taken a decision to increase the number of enlisted electoral symbols for the parliamentary election to 100 from the existing 69.
On June 1 last, the Appellate Division set aside the High Court verdict that had declared the registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party illegal in 2013.