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The Bangladesh cricket team united in support of Shakib Al Hasan as he is embroiled in legal trouble and dedicated their historic Test win against Pakistan to the victims of the recent political unrest that led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh players rallied around teammate Shakib Al Hasan, the ousted lawmaker facing a murder case linked to the unrest that toppled the government earlier this month.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his team’s maiden Test win against Pakistan on Sunday, with all-rounder Shakib taking three wickets in the second innings, was a tribute to the hundreds of people who died in the protests that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down.
Bangladesh has seen weeks of student-led protests that culminated in Hasina’s flight to India by helicopter on August 5, ending 15 years of authoritarian rule in the country.
Shanto posted on Facebook late Monday that Shakib, 37, who lost his seat as an MP for Hasina’s Awami League party after the dissolution of parliament, was “a great asset to our country”.
“For 17 years, he has been working to raise the profile of Bangladesh around the world,” Shato said.
Rafiqul Islam, the father of one of the hundreds killed during the civil unrest, filed a murder case against Shakib and 155 others in Dhaka on Thursday.
Hasina’s government has been accused of widespread abuses, including mass detentions and extrajudicial killings of political opponents.
Hasina, former ministers and other former lawmakers are also among those charged.
Shakib has not spoken publicly about the case, but his teammates said they are offering him support.
“Such a case against Shakib bhai (brother) is unexpected,” Shanto added.
“In the new Bangladesh, we all hope to see something new. I hope all the darkness will pass and new light will come.”
Veteran batsman Mushfiqur Rahim said on Facebook: “I have said it many times before and I will say it again, I am proud to play with a champion like Shakib.
“As a teammate and brother, I will be there for him in his difficult times. I do not support the false accusations against him because I know he would never do anything inhumane.”
Bangladesh registered its first win in 14 Test matches against Pakistan by 10 wickets after both teams battled hard in hot conditions on a flat pitch in Rawalpindi on Sunday.
The second and final Test match will also be played in Rawalpindi on Friday.
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