Bangladesh Sports Minister Aminul Haque has ruled out the possibility of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s appearance alongside Shakib Al Hasan at an event, saying the cricketer’s chances of returning to the national team have been eliminated.
Recently, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the South Asian Foreign Correspondents’ Club in New Delhi virtually.
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly reacted to Sheikh Hasina’s virtual speech, saying that India has allowed a “fugitive, convicted genocidaire” and a “convicted criminal responsible for hundreds of killings” to address the media from its territory, which it described as an insult to Bangladesh’s sovereignty and its people.
Shakib Al Hasan participated in the event by telephone from New Delhi on Wednesday. A day later, Shakib’s house in Magura was also attacked.
Shakib has said that he is willing to return to Bangladesh and face the court if the government provides him with security assurances.
Meanwhile, Sports Minister Aminul Haque said Shakib had effectively ended his own chances of returning to the national team by sharing the stage with an “autocrat.”
He said the government had been dealing with Shakib’s case with considerable patience and flexibility for a long time. However, following the latest developments, there was now no room for Shakib’s return to the national team.
Shakib Al Hasan is regarded as one of Bangladesh’s most prominent cricketers. He has played 447 international matches and represented Bangladesh in five World Cups.
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