Now Reading: Shakib ready to return, face murder trial if safety assured
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Shakib ready to return, face murder trial if safety assured
Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has said he is willing to return home and face trial on murder charges if the government guarantees his safety. The 39-year-old ex-lawmaker of the ousted Sheikh…
The Story in Brief
Bangladesh cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has said he is willing to return home and face trial on murder charges if the government guarantees his safety. The 39-year-old ex-lawmaker of the ousted Sheikh Hasina government has lived in the United States since the student-led uprising of August 2024 and still hopes to play for Bangladesh at the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Shakib told Reuters he believes the cases against him are baseless. He faces two active cases: one over the killing of a protester and another by anti-corruption authorities. He has not appointed a defence lawyer in the murder case. His bank accounts have been frozen for 18 months. Shakib said he is willing to speak to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman about returning, but the government has said he must surrender to the courts like any accused person.
The Indian Opinion
Shakib Al Hasan's demand for a security guarantee before facing trial sits uneasily with the principle that the law applies equally to all. He may feel the murder charge is laughable, but courts, not individual sentiment, test evidence. His refusal to distance himself from the former ruling party makes a special deal politically toxic for the new government. The concrete test: will he first surrender without any prior assurance, as the government insists, and then rely on the legal process?
Sources (4): timesnownews.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2), rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
