Petrol bombs were hurled at the ancestral home of former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan in Magura town, roughly 170km southwest of Dhaka, on Wednesday. Police said a group of people attacked the residence, smashing windows and sparking a fire on the upper floor. The property was unoccupied at the time, and no injuries were reported.
According to Al Jazeera, the assault came hours after Shakib participated in a virtual event organized by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi. The online session featured ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who addressed the media publicly for the first time since fleeing Bangladesh in 2024.
What Sparked the Attack
Shakib's participation in the Delhi event alongside Hasina appears to have triggered the violence. During the audio address, Hasina reiterated her intention to return to Bangladesh, where a war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia in November 2025 over the deadly crackdown on the student-led uprising.
"I will return to my people," Hasina said during the event. "I know that they may put me in jail or they may kill me, but still I have to go back." She also called for the lifting of a ban on the Awami League, the party she led for more than four decades, which was barred from political activity following her removal.
Shakib's Political Ties and Legal Troubles
Shakib, widely regarded as one of Bangladesh's greatest cricketers, was elected to parliament as an Awami League candidate in January 2024. He has not returned to Bangladesh since the student-led uprising toppled Hasina's government later that year.
He currently faces multiple investigations, including allegations of murder, embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering. Reuters was unable to reach Shakib for comment on the attack, Al Jazeera reported.
Background: Hasina's Ouster and Exile
Hasina, 78, has been living in New Delhi since August 2024, when a mass student-led uprising ended her 15-year rule. The revolt was triggered initially by protests over civil service job quotas but grew into a broader movement demanding her resignation.
Her government responded with a violent crackdown that killed hundreds of protesters, according to rights groups. In November 2025, Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia over that crackdown. She has dismissed the charges as politically motivated.
Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Hasina's media appearance, calling it "an affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh." The ministry warned that allowing her to address the media from India could harm bilateral relations between the two neighbors.
Bangladesh has formally sought Hasina's extradition from India. Indian authorities say the request is being examined under their legal procedures.
Why It Matters
The attack on Shakib Al Hasan's home underscores the volatile political climate in Bangladesh following Hasina's ouster. For the Bangladeshi diaspora and cricket followers worldwide, it illustrates how deeply the country's political crisis has penetrated even its most celebrated sporting institutions.
Shakib is not the only Awami League-linked figure facing scrutiny. The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has pursued broad investigations into former officials and allies of the previous administration. However, Shakib's stature as a national sporting hero makes his situation particularly resonant, raising questions about accountability, political association, and the boundaries of justice in a post-revolutionary Bangladesh.
For South Asian observers, the incident also highlights the ongoing diplomatic friction between Dhaka and New Delhi over Hasina's continued presence in India and her public political activities from exile.
