Cricket star Shakib's home attacked after he joins ousted PM's media event
Windows were smashed and petrol bombs were hurled at the ancestral home of former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan in Magura town, about 170 km southwest of the capital Dhaka, on Wednesday (August 5, 2026). Police said the attack occurred hours after Shakib participated in a virtual media interaction with ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who reiterated her intention to return to Bangladesh in December.
The property was unoccupied at the time of the attack, and no injuries were reported. A fire broke out on the upper floor of the residence but was brought under control by local residents and firefighters. Police have registered a case and are investigating the incident. Reuters was unable to reach Shakib for comment.
Shakib, a former Awami League lawmaker, had joined the audio address organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi. The event marked the second anniversary of Hasina's removal from power in a student-led uprising in 2024. During the address, Hasina said, “I will return to my people. I know that they may put me in jail or they may kill me, but still I have to go back.”
Hasina, 78, has been living in New Delhi since August 2024, when she fled Bangladesh amid mass protests. In November 2025, a Bangladeshi war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia over the deadly crackdown on the 2024 uprising, charges she has dismissed as politically motivated. Bangladesh has sought her extradition from India, which says the request is being examined under its legal procedures.
Shakib was elected to Parliament as an Awami League candidate in January 2024. He has remained outside Bangladesh since the uprising that toppled Hasina's government. He faces multiple investigations, including allegations of murder, embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering. The former all-rounder, considered one of Bangladesh's greatest cricketers, has not publicly commented on the allegations or the attack on his home.
Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry 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 neighbours. The event has further strained ties, which have been tense since Hasina's ouster.
The attack on Shakib's residence highlights the volatile political atmosphere in Bangladesh, where supporters and opponents of the Awami League remain deeply polarised. The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has banned the Awami League from political activity and is conducting investigations into abuses during Hasina's rule. Shakib's association with the party has made him a target of public anger, though he has not been formally charged in any case so far.
Local residents in Magura expressed shock over the violence, saying Shakib's family had lived in the area for generations. “We have always been proud of Shakib, but politics has divided people,” said one resident, who declined to be named. Police have increased security in the area to prevent further unrest.
