A Bangladeshi court has issued an order to confiscate the assets of cricketer Shakib Al Hasan.
According to foreign media reports, Shakib, who was known to be loyal to former Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina, is allegedly facing political retaliation following the collapse of Hasina’s rule.
Shakib previously served as a Member of Parliament (MP) under Sheikh Hasina’s party, which was overthrown during a popular uprising in Bangladesh. Hasina later fled to neighboring India via helicopter.
Public anger has been directed at both Hasina and Shakib due to their close political ties. Shakib is now among those facing murder charges related to a police crackdown on protesters during the uprising.
Although Shakib has not been charged for his alleged involvement in those incidents, he is currently facing charges of fraud involving over $300,000 in cheques.
On Monday, a Dhaka magistrate issued a new arrest warrant for Shakib following a previous warrant that was issued in January.
At the time of Hasina’s government’s collapse, Shakib was playing Twenty20 cricket in Canada and has not returned to Bangladesh since.
Shakib, a left-arm all-rounder, has an impressive cricketing record, having played 71 Tests, 247 One-Day Internationals, and 129 Twenty20 Internationals for Bangladesh, claiming a total of 712 wickets.
