Bangladesh cricketers rally round murder accused teammate Shakib Al Hasan

Bangladesh captain Shanto says the murder case filed in Dhaka against former lawmaker Shakib Al Hasan is ‘unexpected’.

Bangladesh’s cricketers have rallied round teammate Shakib Al Hasan, the ousted lawmaker who faces a case of murder connected to unrest that toppled the government earlier this month.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his team’s maiden Test win against Pakistan on Sunday, in which all-rounder Shakib took three wickets in the second innings, was a tribute to the hundreds killed during protests that forced former premier Sheikh Hasina from power.

Bangladesh endured weeks of student-led protests that resulted in Hasina fleeing to India by helicopter on August 5, ending 15 years of rule.

Shakib, 37, who lost his job as a lawmaker for Hasina’s Awami League party when parliament was dissolved, is “a big asset of our country”, said Shanto in a post on Facebook late Monday.

“He’s been raising the name of Bangladesh in the world for 17 long years,” Shanto said.

Rafiqul Islam, the father of one of the hundreds killed during the civil unrest, filed a murder case against Shakib and 155 others in Dhaka on August 22.

Hasina’s government was accused of widespread abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killing of political opponents.

Hasina, her former ministers and other ex-lawmakers are also among the accused.

A mural of Sheikh Hasina vandalised by protesters a day after her resignation as prime minister, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 6, 2024 [Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]
‘New light will come’

Shakib has not spoken publicly about the case, but his teammates said they were offering him support.

“Such a case against Shakib bhai [brother] is unexpected,” Shanto added.

“In the new Bangladesh, we all want to see something new. I hope all the darkness will pass off and new light will come.”

Veteran batsman Mushfiqur Rahim said on Facebook: “I have said it many times before, and I will say it again, I am proud to play alongside a champion like Shakib.

“As a teammate and a brother, I will be there during his tough times, and I do not support the false allegations made against him because I know he would never engage in inhumane actions.”

Shakib’s inclusion in the side was met with criticism and protests earlier in August.

The interim government gave permission for Shakib, who has not commented on the political crisis, to feature in the series.

Earlier on Sunday, Shanto dedicated the win to the people who lost their lives during the protests.

“We are paying tribute to the individuals who recently passed away in our nation during the protests and praying for their souls,” Shanto said after the match.

We dedicate today's victory to those who lost their lives in the anti-discrimination student movement | Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Captain, Bangladesh team | #BCB #Cricket #Bangladesh #PAKvBAN #WTC25 pic.twitter.com/d9P3ZZGXtL
— Bangladesh Cricket () August 25, 2024
History of disciplinary violations

Shakib is Bangladesh’s key all-rounder with 4,520 runs in 68 Tests and 2,241 wickets as a spinner, the highest for any Bangladesh bowler in Test cricket.

However, he has been embroiled in controversies and cricket rule violations in the past – ranging from bans over corruption to suspensions related to on-field behaviour.

People in Dhaka protested against Shakib’s inclusion in the team, with former Bangladesh Cricket Board member Rafiqul Islam criticising him for staying silent as protesters died in clashes with security forces.

Shakib joined the squad in Pakistan after featuring in the Global T20 Canada league, where Bangladeshis also chanted slogans against him.

The unrest in Dhaka stopped the team from assembling for practice sessions.

The tourists got some reprieve after the Pakistan Cricket Board invited them to arrive four days early to make up for their lack of preparations.

Bangladesh achieved their first victory over Pakistan in 14 Tests with a thumping 10-wicket win on Sunday after both teams struggled in hot conditions on a flat Rawalpindi pitch.

Shakib scored 15 runs and took four wickets in the match. He was handed a fine and a demerit point following the Test win as the match referee found that he had breached the game’s code of conduct by throwing a ball over the head of Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan while waiting to bowl to him.

The second and final Test will also be played in Rawalpindi from Friday.

Shakib Al Hasan took four wickets in Bangladesh’s first Test win against Pakistan [File: Farooq Naeem/AFP]