Verdict on Jamaat's registration soon

The High Court will deliver its verdict any day regarding a writ petition that challenged the legality of Jamaat-e-Islami's registration as a political party.
After concluding hearing arguments from the counsels on the petition, the HC yesterday kept it waiting for delivering verdict.
A special HC bench of Justice M Moazzam Husain, Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque started hearing on the matter on April 11.
On January 25, 2009, Bangladesh Tariqat Federation's Secretary General Rezaul Haque Chandpuri and 24 others filed the writ petition saying that Jamaat is a religion-based political party and it does not believe in independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh.
On November 14, 2008, the Election Commission listed Jamaat as a registered political party in violation of the Constitution and the spirit of the Representation of People Order (RPO) Ordinance, 2008, they said.
On January 27, 2009, the HC had issued the rule asking Jamaat's chief and its secretary general; and the EC to explain why the party's registration should not be declared illegal.
In reply to the HC rule, the EC told it that some provisions of Jamaat's charter are against the country's constitution and RPO, while Jamaat said the EC had not done any illegality by registering the party.
Barrister Tania Amir appeared for the writ petitioners, while Barrister Abdur Razzaq argued for Jamaat and Advocate Mohsen Rashid and Additional Attorney General MK Rahman represented EC.