POBNEWS24, Dhaka June 1, 2025 : The then Awami League government had cancelled the registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami for its involvement in war crimes in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. But on Sunday morning, June 1, the country’s top court reinstated the party’s registration in a verdict by the Appellate Division, letting the people of the country know that no war crimes were committed in 1971. The Appellate Division has ordered the reinstatement of Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration as a political party. The Election Commission (EC) has been asked to implement this directive immediately.
A four-judge appeal bench led by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed announced the verdict in the Janarkirn court. The country’s top court gave this verdict by quashing the High Court’s verdict in this regard.
Barrister Ehsan Abdullah Siddique, Barrister Imran Abdullah Siddique, Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir, Barrister Najib Momen, Barrister Mir Ahmed Bin Kashem appeared for Jamaat in the court.
The hearing of the appeal to get Jamaat-e-Islami’s cancelled registration and symbol back as a political party concluded on May 14. The verdict in this regard was set for June 1.
Barrister Ehsan Abdullah Siddique appeared for Jamaat-e-Islami in the court on that day. He was assisted by Barrister Imran Abdullah Siddique, Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir, Barrister Najib Momen.
Disposing of a writ petition, the High Court declared Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration cancelled and illegal on August 1, 2013, during the Awami League government’s rule. Then, on December 7, 2018, the Election Commission (EC) issued a notification cancelling Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration.
In addition, on May 28, the death sentence was imposed on war criminal Azhar by the Supreme Court. In that incident, the left organizations of Bangladesh were vocal in protest against the verdict. Shibir also attacked the protest rally of the Chhatra Union. Shibir attacked the procession of the Left Alliance in Chittagong.
On the other hand, the International Crimes Tribunal has taken into account the formal charges against three people including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the case of crimes against humanity in July-August.
A three-member tribunal led by Justice Golam Mortaza Majumder took into account five charges against the accused on Sunday. At the same time, the tribunal issued arrest warrants against Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. The other accused, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, is in prison.
The tribunal’s trial proceedings were broadcast live on Bangladesh Television today. This is the first time in the country’s history that a trial has been broadcast live.
Earlier, at around 12 noon, formal charges were filed against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun in the July Genocide case.
Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam filed the formal charges at the International Crimes Tribunal’s Registrar’s Office. Other prosecutors were present at the time.
Five charges of crimes against humanity have been brought against them during the mass uprising in July-August. And Sheikh Hasina has been called the ‘mastermind’ and ‘superior commander’ in this incident. Former Home Minister Kamal urged the implementation of the direct orders of the shootings and former IGP Mamun implemented them. 82 people, including two advisors to the current government, police, senior journalists, lawyers, and doctors, have been called witnesses in the case.
The official complaint has already emerged, ‘At the last moment of the popular uprising (August 3, 4 and 5), Sheikh Hasina ordered all state forces to completely wipe out or eliminate unarmed, innocent protesters, ordinary people who were in a peaceful movement, using deadly weapons including helicopters, drones, APCs’.
In this case, Sheikh Hasina has also been accused of giving direct orders to kill and maim by shooting. Many call records of Sheikh Hasina have been collected in this regard. Various evidence including various call records, video footage, recovered bullets, and helicopter flight schedules have been found against the accused. Earlier, the investigation agency submitted the investigation report against Sheikh Hasina and three others in the case of crimes against humanity in July-August to the Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal on May 12.
After the fall of the Awami League government, the first complaint was filed against Sheikh Hasina at the tribunal on August 14. In light of that complaint, the prosecution of the tribunal filed a case as the plaintiff.
According to prosecution sources, the first of the five charges is that of ‘incitement’ and ‘incitement’ against Sheikh Hasina to commit crimes against humanity, the second charge is that of direct instruction to shoot, and the remaining three charges were committed in the context of specific incidents.
The prosecution said that in this case, the doctors who treated the victims, those who were directly injured, and the relatives of the martyr’s family who received and buried the bodies will also come to the tribunal as witnesses. In addition, various call records, numerous video footage, cuttings prepared in national dailies, and recovered bullets have been seized as evidence.
