Bangladesh lifts ban on Jamaat-e-Islami party

Bangladesh's interim government has lifted a ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami party and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir.

The Interior Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday, saying there was a lack of evidence to support the reasons behind the previous ban, The Daily Star, one of Bangladesh's leading newspapers, reported.

The ban was lifted "since there is no specific evidence of involvement of Jamaat, Shibir, and its front organisations in terrorist activities … And since the government believes that the organisations are not involved in terrorist activities," the ministry said.

The decision comes into effect immediately.

Last month, the government of the South Asian nation issued an order under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009, prohibiting all political activities of Jamaat and Shibir.

The former Awami League government accused Jamaat and Shibir of violent attacks on government properties during the student-led protests.

Hundreds of protestors were killed in demonstrations, which led to the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from office on August 5.

Hasina's government alleged that Jamaat was a "platform of militants," noting that its top leaders have already been tried for alleged crimes committed during the 1971 independence war from Pakistan.

It was the second time the party was banned in independent Bangladesh.

The first ban was imposed in 1972 due to its "anti-liberation stance," following a new constitutional provision that outlawed religion-based politics.