The Youth and Sports Adviser, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, says cricket star Shakib Al Hasan won’t be allowed to play for the national team again. This follows a heated online fight that started when Shakib wished the former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, a happy birthday. Hasina was forced out of power last year.
Speaking to a TV channel, Asif announced he will give a “clear instruction” to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB): “He cannot be allowed to carry Bangladesh’s flag or wear its jersey… Shakib Al Hasan will never again play for the Bangladesh team.”
The adviser said this ban is about national dignity and discipline, pointing to long-time accusations of financial crimes and Shakib Al Hasan’s deep ties to Hasina’s Awami League party.
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The argument exploded on Facebook. It started on September 28 when Shakib, who was once an MP for the Awami League, posted a photo with Hasina, captioning it, “Happy birthday, Apa.” Asif quickly responded online, suggesting he was right to oppose the cricketer’s return last year for a planned farewell match.
Shakib Al Hasan then replied on Facebook without naming Asif, writing, “So finally someone admits that because of him I was not given the Bangladesh jersey again…” He ended with a sad but hopeful line: “Perhaps one day I will return to my motherland. I love Bangladesh.”
Asif later made his stance even stronger, connecting the cricketer to people who had harmed students and citizens. Shakib, who hasn’t been home since Hasina’s government fell, insists his birthday wish was not political. He says it was because Hasina has always supported cricket and maintains he was forced to run in the 2024 election.
This whole fight shows how tightly sports and politics are linked in Bangladesh. Shakib’s fans argue that team selection should be based only on performance, while his critics say no athlete should be above the law, especially since Shakib now faces multiple legal cases, including murder and financial allegations.
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Asif’s strong public order would suddenly end the career of Bangladesh’s most famous cricketer.