The High Court verdict that scrapped Jamaat-e-Islami’s registration with the Election Commission has found a wide coverage in the influential international media.
Published : 02 Aug 2013, 12:37 AM
The UK-based BBC, Reuters and the Guardian, the US-based CNN, Pakistan’s Dawn, Times of India and Qatar-based Al Jazeera highlighted a possible bar on the party from contesting the looming parliamentary elections.
The reports also focused on Jamaat leaders facing trials at the international crimes tribunals for their alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
Reuters
The news agency in its report, headlined ‘Bangladesh court rules top Islamic party illegal’, said the court declared the Jamaat as illegal, “effectively banning it from a general election due early next year.”
It said the ruling that the registration of Jamaat as a political party conflicted with the country's secular constitution immediately triggered violent protests by party supporters in Dhaka and outside.
The report also mentioned Jamaat’s appeal to the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict and the party’s calling shutdown across the country on Aug 12-13.
BBC’s report ‘Bangladesh High Court restricts Islamist party Jamaat’ says the ruling jeopardised its involvement in next year's poll.
Quoting Election Commission lawyer Shahdeen Malik, it said the Jamaat must amend its charter and re-apply for registration if it is to contest the polls.
BBC quoted him as saying: "If it (Jamaat) amends its charter to bring it in conformity with the constitution and reapplies for registration, it can be re-registered."
Dawn
Pakistan's leading English daily in an elaborate report on the verdict declared Jamaat illegal and unqualified for the elections.
The daily expressed fears that Bangladesh politics could turn violent.
The Times of India
India’s largest-circulated English daily underlined that the biggest fundamentalist party of the country lost the opportunity to fight in the upcoming national polls.
It highlighted several Jamaat leaders getting convicted of war crimes for opposing Bangladesh during the War of Independence.
CNN
The cable news channel in its report ‘Court’s Verdict against Bangladeshi Islamist Party’ described Jamaat as one of the main two opposition parties.
”The party contests with Awami League to go to power,” it said.