Shakib Al Hasan ruled out by Bangladesh after Hasina event

Bangladesh’s youth and sports minister said former star cricketer Shakib Al Hasan had no prospect of returning to play after he joined a media event with ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Shakib joined the event by telephone in New Delhi on Wednesday, where Hasina addressed journalists two years after she was forced from power following a deadly crackdown on student-led protests.

Youth and Sports Minister Aminul Haque said the government had previously taken a more flexible approach toward Shakib, who was a lawmaker for Hasina’s former ruling Awami League party.

“Someone who has taken the stage with the autocrat no longer has any opportunity to return,” Haque said in a statement.

Shakib, 39, is Bangladesh’s most successful cricketer and has played more than 400 international matches. He is currently in Sri Lanka.

Shakib was among dozens facing murder investigations over a deadly police crackdown on protesters that toppled Hasina’s government. The Bangladesh Cricket Board said in January that he could play again, but his involvement in Wednesday’s event in India sparked anger.

Hasina remains in hiding in India. A court in Dhaka found her guilty in absentia in November 2025 of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to be hanged.