The ancestral home of former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan in Magura town, located approximately 170km southwest of Dhaka, was targeted in an arson attack on Wednesday. Authorities reported that unidentified individuals smashed windows and hurled petrol bombs at the property, igniting a fire on the upper floor. Fortunately, the residence was unoccupied at the time, and no injuries were reported.
The incident occurred shortly after Shakib, a former Awami League lawmaker, participated in a virtual media event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi. The event featured ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who made her first public media appearance since fleeing Bangladesh in 2024. During the audio address, the 78-year-old former leader, currently residing in New Delhi, declared her intention to return to Bangladesh, stating, “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.”
Shakib has remained abroad since the 2024 student-led uprising that resulted in the removal of Hasina’s government. The cricketer, who was elected to parliament in January 2024, is currently facing multiple legal investigations, including allegations of murder, fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering. Reuters was unable to reach the former captain for comment regarding the attack on his property.
During the New Delhi event, Hasina also advocated for the removal of the ban on the Awami League, the political party she led for over four decades. In response, the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned her appearance as an affront to the nation’s sovereignty, warning that her continued media presence from India could negatively impact bilateral relations. Bangladesh has formally requested her extradition, a matter India states is currently under legal review. In November 2025, a war crimes tribunal in Bangladesh sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for her role in the 2024 crackdown, charges she maintains are politically motivated.
Police said a group of people attacked Shakib’s ancestral home in Magura town, about 170km (105 miles) southwest of the capital Dhaka, on Wednesday, causing a fire on the upper floor of the residence.
The event, held on the second anniversary of her ouster, was Hasina’s first public interaction with the media since she fled Bangladesh in 2024.
Bangladesh has sought her extradition from India, which says the request is being examined under its legal procedures.
