Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami barred ahead of Dec. polls

By Mutasim Billah

DHAKA, Bangladesh

With parliamentary elections looming this December, Bangladesh's largest Islamist party has been effectively barred from competing, the country's electoral authority announced late Monday

Bangladesh’s Election Commission the registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest Islamist party, in a new notice.

“The commission secretariat issued a notification on Sunday after it recently got the full order of the High Court” -- the lower division of the Supreme Court -- Helal Uddin Ahmed, the commission’s secretary, confirmed to Anadolu Agency. The notice was issued on Sunday but only announced on Monday

In 2013, the High Court declared Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration with the Election Commission illegal, but a detailed decision spelling out the order only just arrived at the commission.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has yet to respond to the move.

But Mujibur Rahman, the party’s vice chair, claimed the election commission's decision was prejudiced.

“Instead of providing a favorable atmosphere for the upcoming national elections in December, the election commission is working for the Awami League [ruling party] to make the party’s candidates victorious,” he charged.