The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) has upheld a High Court verdict that had earlier declared Bangladesh Jammat-e-Ismami's registration as a political party unconstitutional.

A full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order upholding the High Court's to cancel the registration of Jamaat.

The court also dismissed Jamaat's leave to appeal against the High Court's ruling which declared the Election Commission's registration of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party illegal.

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The apex court, responding to an application filed by Jamaat's lawyer Ziaur Rahman, rescheduled its hearing from 12 November to 19 November. Due to the ongoing hartal-blockades, this extension was requested for an additional six weeks.

Previously, the Appellate Division had deferred the hearing from 6 November to 12 November.

In August 2013, the High Court declared Jamaat's registration illegal following a writ petition filed in 2009 by Bangladesh Tariqat Federation's Secretary General Rezaul Haque Chandpuri and 24 others.

Tariqat, a political ally of the ruling Awami League, had filed the writ petition on 25 January 2009 challenging the constitutionality of Jamaat's registration with the Election Commission on 4 November 2008.

In the petition, they said Jamaat was a religion-based political party and it did not believe in the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh.

Later, Jamaat-e-Islami filed an appeal with the apex court challenging the HC verdict.

The Bangladesh Tariqat Federation in June 2023 filed a petition with the Appellate Division seeking a contempt of court ruling against the Jamaat-e-Islami and top police officers for allowing Jamaat to hold political activities, including meetings, public rallies and processions, using its name or banner in violation of the High Court verdict.