Shakib says he will return to Bangladesh to fight cases, but needs security

The cricketing star says he will return home swiftly if he gets guarantees that he will not be harassed until the cases against him conclude

Shakib Al Hasan says that he is very hopeful of making a return to Bangladesh and wants to do so soon.

The main obstacles to his return are security concerns, he says. However, Shakib – a former Awami League MP who is often considered the country’s greatest cricketer – says he can only make his way home if he receives guarantees that he will not be harassed until legal proceedings against him are completed and he is allowed to be an ordinary citizen.

Seventeen days after the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, 2024, a murder case was filed against Shakib at the Adabor Police Station in Dhaka. The former Magura-1 MP was named as the 28th suspect in the case as an individual who ordered the murder of garment worker Md Rubel.

He also faces cases of cheque and stock market fraud.

Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government, Shakib has not returned to Bangladesh. He has, instead, settled in New York with his family.

Though he played in the Bangladesh team's tours of Pakistan and India after Aug 5, he has not been seen in the national team's jersey since then. Over the past year and a half, there has been constant debate about his return to the squad. Even the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has spoken of initiatives to reincorporate him into the team. But, so far, it has not happened.

Shakib recently came to Mumbai for a franchise cricket event. From there, he provided an interview with bdnews24.com over the phone.

Over the course of the interview, Shakib explained his position on the cases against him in detail, saying he believes they lack a strong legal basis.

Asked why he has not returned to Bangladesh if he is so confident in his defence, the cricketer said: "I don’t think the cases against me have anything to do with my return to the country. Yes, I can get bail in ACC [Anti-Corruption Commission] cases. But there are thousands of people in the country who have similar ACC cases against them, and they are moving around the country freely, doing business, doing everything."

The former national cricket team captain did not rule out concerns over his arrest if he returns to Bangladesh.

“Nowadays, nothing seems unusual! Still, I am hopeful that such a thing will not happen. Until my guilt is proven, there should be no problem. But many things I thought would be one way are being done differently! Nothing is certain.”

And yet, Shakib says he is very hopeful about returning to the country.

“(The hope of returning to the country) is absolutely there. I will return. I hope I can return soon.”

“I will return to the country, go to court, and fight these cases. That is no problem. But I have to be provided with security! I should be able to expect that. I am not saying that security means blocking the road for me or having a convoy of four police vehicles around me. I do not want that. However, there are normal expectations of security, and I will not be harassed until the legal proceedings conclude. That is all I hope for. As an ordinary citizen, that is all I can expect. If I can get a guarantee that I will not be harassed tomorrow, I will head to the country the day after tomorrow.”