Bangladesh restores Jamaat-e-Islami registration

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Election Commission has reinstated the registration and symbol - 'daripalla' (weighing scales) - of the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) party, several leaders of which had been tried and convicted for genocide, rape and other atrocities against civilians during the 1971 Liberation War. With the poll panel's latest decision, JeI will now be able to contest the national election. The commission on Tuesday published a gazette notification to cancel its earlier notification, issued on Oct 28, 2018, that revoked JeI's registration.Hasina counsel removedThe Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal removed the state-appointed counsel for former PM Hasina, amid a row over his social media post last year demanding for her execution. The tribunal passed the order after advocate Aminul Gani Tipu withdrew from the post citing "conflict of interest".B'desh ex-CEC arrestedFormer Bangladesh chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal was arrested here on Wednesday for "election manipulation" during the Sheikh Hasina regime, days after his predecessor K M Nurul Huda was taken into custody on the same charge.