Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition")
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition Photograph: (AFP)
Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan is ready to return home and face trial if guaranteed security, though Sports Minister Aminul Haque warns legal routes remain strict following his presser with Sheikh Hasina
Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has said he is willing to return to his country to face court trials if the government ensures his security. Shakib hasn’t returned to Bangladesh since May 2024 and is currently plying his trade with the Jaffna Kings in the Lankan Premier League (LPL). The marquee all-rounder was among 147 people against whom charges were filed in connection with an alleged murder during the Bangladesh protests in 2024. Calling it a laughable case, Shakib claims that he hasn’t done anything wrong.
"If I get the clearance from the government that my security will be ensured, I am happy to go back, face the court trial and everything that's needed to be done. I know I haven't done anything. It's a laughable case,” Shakib said in a chat with Reuters on Friday (Aug 7).
Meanwhile, Shakib’s recent appearance during a virtual media briefing alongside Sheikh Hasina—the deposed former Prime Minister now residing in New Delhi—caused rage back home, caused rage among people back home as the angry mob attacked his Magura house.
Shakib joined Hasina’s Awami League to become a Member of Parliament in the 2024 elections, leaving the country midway through the same year after nearly 1,400 people were killed during the Bangladesh protests, with all blame falling on Hasina's party.
Defending his presence in Hasina’s presser, Shakib said he was merely following orders.
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"Whatever the captain says, we follow her," he said. “I think they will decide it better, and we will follow the instructions given to us.”
Government Changes Stance on Shakib
That presser, however, made it tougher for him to return to Bangladesh as the country’s sports minister has changed his stance on Shakib. Aminul Haque, who in February 2026 vowed to fast-track Shakib’s case, said that Shakib joining hands with Hasina, whom he called a dictator, leaves him with no option but to return to his country only through legal options.
"We were looking at things in a very flexible, very tolerant way," Haque said in a statement. "After that (press conference), it doesn't seem like there's any room for that kind of thinking anymore.
"He has gotten to the stage with the dictator (Hasina), who is unlikely to return to the country. We were being tolerant about Shakib being a cricketer. Now that chance is gone. If he has to come, it has to be through the legal route,” he said.
