Process for banning Jamaat has started: Hanif

Awami League joint general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif on Thursday said the process for imposition of a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party has started and the process might be completed within March next year.

"By this time, the High Court ordered a ban on the Jamaat. The party`s registration has been cancelled. The case in this regard is in the Appellate Division now. Legal proceeding has been continuing. I hope the matter would be resolved within March next year," he said.

Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif said this in his reaction to reporters on the countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal called by Jamaat at the political office of Awami League president Sheikh Hasina at Dhanmondi in the city.

On August 1 in 2013, the High Court ordered as illegal the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party. Later, Jamaat filed an appeal against the court order.

Besides, on June 1 in 2015, the Election Commission (EC) cancelled registration of the party.

Claiming that the people have rejected the hartal called by Jamaat, the Awami League joint general secretary said, "Life has been normal across the country today. BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and her ally Jamaat tried in vain many times in the past to stall the trial of the war criminals.

They (BNP) haven`t given any reaction over the capital punishment handed down against two top war criminals sensing that the people of the country in favour of holding the war crimes trial."

Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif termed the Wednesday`s murder attempt on an Italian citizen in Dinajpur town was a heinous effort to hinder the ongoing trial of the war criminals.

Awami League organising secretary Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, MP, deputy publicity secretary Asim Kumar Ukil and central working committee members Enamul Haque Shamim and Aminul Islam Amin were present, among others.