Bangladeshi cricket legend Shakib Al Hasan, a former politician aligned with ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has announced his readiness to return from a two-year exile in the United States to face trial on charges including murder. He has requested government assurances for his safety before making the move.

Shakib has been living in the United States since August 2024, following the toppling of Hasina's government in a deadly student-led uprising. Now 39, he has not retired from international cricket and expressed hopes to play a farewell series in Bangladesh and represent the country at the 2027 Cricket World Cup, a one-day international tournament.

His return would test the current government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on whether it will accommodate figures from the former ruling party. This remains uncertain as Hasina herself has announced plans to return to Bangladesh in December despite having been sentenced to death.

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

Shakib’s potential return and trial highlight ongoing political tensions in Bangladesh and raise questions about reconciliation between the current government and former ruling party members.

Sources