Shakib wants to return to Bangladesh alongside ‘Captain’ Sheikh Hasina

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Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has said he is willing to return to the country to face all legal cases against him, including a murder case, if the government guarantees his safety. He also said that if an immediate return is not possible, he would like to return alongside former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, referring to her as the “captain.”

Former Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has said he is prepared to return home after nearly two years in exile if the government provides security assurances, adding that he would face all legal proceedings against him, including the murder case filed against him.

In an interview with Reuters, Shakib said he is ready to return to Bangladesh, appear before the courts and play a farewell series, provided the government guarantees his safety.

The former Bangladesh captain had earlier expressed his desire to return to the country at the earliest opportunity. However, he said that if an immediate return is not possible, he would try to return alongside former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has said she plans to come back to Bangladesh in December.

Reuters recently quoted Hasina as saying that she and other leaders of the Awami League intend to return to Bangladesh voluntarily in December. Responding to the same issue, Shakib said he wants to return immediately, but if that cannot happen, he would prefer to return with Hasina.

“Whatever the captain says, we follow,” Shakib told Reuters. “I believe they will make the right decision, and we will follow their instructions.”

Shakib is currently in Sri Lanka playing in the Lanka Premier League (LPL). Speaking to Reuters by phone from Sri Lanka, he said, “If the government gives me clearance and ensures my security, I am ready to return to Bangladesh and face whatever is necessary, including the court proceedings.”

“I know I have done nothing wrong,” he added.

The interview marks Shakib’s most detailed public comments about his situation since spending the past two years outside Bangladesh. His circumstances reflect the broader political developments following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government, after which a number of her political associates faced criminal cases that have complicated their return to the country. Shakib himself is also facing multiple legal cases.