A petrol bomb attack was reported at the Bangladesh home of former cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan, triggering fresh political tension. The incident comes after Shakib attended a public programme in Delhi where former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed participants through a video conference.
Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League leader who lost power amid student protests in 2024, has been living in India and had largely stayed out of public view for nearly two years. At the event organised by a foreign journalists’ association, she said she was determined to return to Bangladesh even if she faced the risk of imprisonment.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs clarified that the programme had no connection with the Indian government. Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, however, issued a strong statement condemning Hasina’s remarks, saying the public had already rejected what it called attempts to distort history.
In this backdrop, unknown persons allegedly targeted Shakib’s house in Magura with petrol bombs, according to reports. The Awami League condemned the attack.
Shakib, like Hasina, has been living outside Bangladesh since August 2024. The report also noted that he is among 147 people against whom the current government has filed murder cases.
