Bangladeshi cricket great Shakib Al Hasan, a former politician allied with ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has expressed readiness to return from a two-year exile in the United States to face trial on charges including murder. He has requested government guarantees for his safety before returning.

Shakib, 39, who has not retired from international cricket, hopes to play a farewell series in Bangladesh and represent the country at the 2027 Cricket World Cup, a one-day international tournament.

Since the toppling of Hasina's government in a deadly student-led uprising in August 2024, Shakib has lived in the United States. His return would test whether Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government will accommodate figures from the former governing party. Hasina herself has announced plans to return to Bangladesh in December despite having been given a death sentence there.

In 2024, the then-interim government’s sports adviser, Asif Mahmud, stated that Shakib would be given security like any other cricketer but urged him to clarify his political stance to reduce public anger over his ties to Hasina’s Awami League. Mahmud also noted that Shakib has been the highest-taxed player for the last decade, with all taxes paid, and that his account had been frozen for a year and a half during an investigation. He called for the release of Shakib’s account if no wrongdoing was found.

Shakib’s potential return and trial highlight ongoing political tensions in Bangladesh and raise questions about reconciliation under the current government.

Sources