DHAKA: Once the face of Bangladesh cricket, Shakib Al Hasan’s return to the national team has hit another roadblock after his recent political association sparked controversy.
The country’s Youth and Sports Minister Aminul Haque said on Friday that the veteran all-rounder has no clear path back to international cricket following his virtual appearance at an event featuring former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi.
Shakib joined the media event by telephone on Wednesday, where Hasina addressed journalists two years after being removed from power. Following the appearance, Haque said the government’s previous flexible approach toward Shakib’s possible return could no longer continue.
“We had been looking at the matter with considerable flexibility and tolerance. After this, I do not think there is any room to think that way anymore,” Haque said in a statement. “Someone who has taken the stage with the autocrat no longer has any opportunity to return.”
The minister’s remarks have raised further questions over the international future of the 39-year-old cricketer, who is regarded as Bangladesh’s most successful player and one of the country’s biggest sporting icons.
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Shakib, a former lawmaker from Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party, has remained under scrutiny since the political transition in Bangladesh. He is currently in Sri Lanka and was among several individuals facing murder investigations related to a deadly police crackdown on protesters that contributed to Hasina’s removal from office.
Rights groups have previously accused Hasina’s government of human rights abuses, including suppression of opposition groups and misuse of state institutions. A Dhaka court later convicted Hasina in absentia in 2025 in a case involving crimes against humanity, while she remains in India.
Despite the controversy, the Bangladesh Cricket Board had earlier indicated that Shakib could continue playing international cricket. In January, the board said he remained eligible for selection after he announced retirement plans in September 2024 following Bangladesh’s Test series against India.
Shakib later expressed his desire to feature in a final series before stepping away from the game.
However, his recent appearance alongside Hasina has changed the situation, with officials now ruling out a possible comeback for one of Bangladesh’s most decorated cricketers.
His future with the national side remains uncertain as the country continues to deal with the intersection of sports and politics.
