Windows at former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan’s home were broken, and petrol bombs were thrown after he participated in the first public media event by ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since her removal from power in 2024. During the incident, flames erupted on the upper floor of the residence, which was empty at the time; no injuries were reported. Authorities confirmed that a group attacked Shakib’s ancestral house in Magura, located about 105 miles southwest of Dhaka. Reuters was unable to reach Shakib for comment regarding the attack.
The assault occurred shortly after Shakib, a former Parliament member from the Awami League, took part in a virtual event hosted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi. In her audio message, Hasina reiterated her intention to return to Bangladesh in December, despite being sentenced to death there.
Shakib, elected to parliament as an Awami League candidate in January 2024, has remained outside Bangladesh since the student-led protests that overthrew Hasina’s government. He is under multiple investigations, including charges related to murder, embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering.
“I will return to my people,” Hasina stated. “I understand they might imprison or even execute me, but I have to go back.”
This event, marking the second anniversary of her ousting, was Hasina’s first public appearance since she fled Bangladesh in 2024. She also expressed her belief that the ban on the Awami League — the party she led for over 40 years — should be lifted, as it had been barred from political activity following her removal.
Bangladesh’s foreign ministry condemned Hasina’s media appearance, calling it “an affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh” and warning that allowing her to speak from India could damage bilateral relations.
Now residing in New Delhi since August 2024, Bangladesh has requested her extradition from India, which is currently reviewing the request through its legal channels. In November 2025, her war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia over the crackdown on the 2024 student protests, a charge she dismisses as politically motivated.