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Exiled Cricketer Seeks Government Assurance for Return
Bangladeshi cricket star Shakib Al Hasan has said he is ready to return home from a two-year exile, face trial over charges including murder, and play a farewell series if the government guarantees his safety .
Shakib, a former lawmaker from ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, has been living in the United States since her government was toppled in a deadly student-led uprising in August 2024 . The 39-year-old has not yet retired from international cricket and said he still hopes to play a farewell series on home soil and represent Bangladesh at the 2027 ODI World Cup .
Trial and Political Context
“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,” Shakib told Reuters by phone from Sri Lanka, where he is playing franchise cricket .
The former captain’s case highlights the wider fallout from Hasina’s ouster, which has left scores of her allies facing criminal charges and unable to return to Bangladesh . His return would test whether Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government will accommodate figures from the former ruling party — an open question as Hasina herself has announced plans to return in December despite having been given a death sentence there .
Failed Return Attempts and Legal Cases
Shakib described a failed return attempt in late 2024 when he boarded a flight home on assurances from the interim government but was told mid-journey to turn back . A later attempt collapsed after he posted a birthday message for Hasina on social media, which he said authorities cited as the reason for barring his re-entry .
He said two cases against him are currently active: one over the alleged killing of a protester during the uprising, and another brought by anti-corruption authorities about alleged corruption . He has denied wrongdoing and called the murder case “laughable” .
