This newspaper has no sympathy for the ideological position of the Jamaat-e-Islami, and even less for its history, its criminality, and the values that it seeks to impose on the nation.
Under the law, there exist more than sufficient grounds for the judicial decision cancelling the party’s registration with the EC, and the judgment cannot be faulted as a matter of law.
However, we feel that it is wrong, in principle, to stop political parties from participating in the electoral process, and that doing so is at best ineffectual, and at worst, dangerous.
The acceptability of parties is best left to be sorted out at the ballot box. If a party retains sufficient popularity to command votes, then cancelling its registration is no solution.
The best case scenario now is that the Jamaat simply reorganise under a new banner, in which case we are back to square one. It is highly unlikely that the verdict will prompt the party to genuinely reform itself.
At worst, cancellation will drive the party and its supporters underground. Those who genuinely support the party will feel cheated of their choice, and the more radical supporters and members will now be encouraged to abandon electoral politics altogether for militancy.
The verdict will serve only to heighten the party’s sense of victimisation and to give a boost to militants.
Bangladesh has not had a happy experience with proscribing political parties in the past, and we fear that yesterday’s verdict could also form a dangerous precedent that could be used against other parties in future.
While we acknowledge that the cancellation of Jamaat’s registration is perfectly justifiable, we have to ask the question as to whether it is wise. In such cases, it is always best to let the voters decide.
