Shakib apologises for silence during student movement

Shakib Al Hasan is set to play his final Test match in Dhaka later this month • AFP via Getty Images

Shakib Al Hasan has apologised for his silence during the student-led protests in Bangladesh in July, which led to several hundreds of deaths. It is the first time that Shakib acknowledged the movement that led to the fall of the longstanding Awami League-led government - in which he was a member of parliament (MP) - on August 5.

"Firstly, I would like to pay my respects to all the students who sacrificed their lives, led the anti-discrimination movement, and were martyred or injured during the people's uprising," Shakib wrote on his Facebook page. "I extend my deepest respect and condolences to them and their families. While no sacrifice can compensate for the loss of a loved one, nothing can fill the void of losing a child or a brother, to those of you who were hurt by my silence during this critical period, I respect your feelings and sincerely apologise. If I were in your place, I too might have been upset."

Shakib was playing in the Global T20 Canada franchise league during the violence in Bangladesh in July. During one of the matches in early August, Shakib argued with a fan who had asked him about his silence on the upheaval back home.

Apart from being an MP, Shakib, of course, is arguably Bangladesh's biggest cricket star ever, a larger-than-life figure in Bangladesh, and so his silence rankled. He was named in a murder case related to the protests, along with 146 other Awami League leaders, while he was playing the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

"I want to say goodbye with all of you around. At the moment of farewell, I want to shake hands with those whose applause compelled me to play better. I want to meet the eyes of those who cheered in joy when I played well and whose eyes welled up with tears when I did not."

On September 26, Shakib, who resides in the USA with his family, announced his retirement from Test cricket. He said that if the authorities could guarantee his safe entry and exit from Bangladesh, he wanted to play his last Test in Dhaka, against South Africa from October 21. He had not been in the country since the T20 World Cup in June, having linked up with the Test squad directly in Pakistan and India. BCB president Faruque Ahmed said the board could not guarantee him the security he wanted, but at the government level there were positive signals for Shakib. Sports adviser Asif Mahmud had said the government would provide him with security, but Shakib needed to explain his political stance to his fans.

In his long Facebook post on Wednesday, Shakib duly spoke of why he had joined politics last year. He had got an Awami League nomination, and went on to win comfortably from the Magura-1 constituency.

"I was briefly the member of parliament from the Magura-1 constituency. My political involvement was primarily driven by my desire to contribute to the development of my hometown Magura. As you know, it is difficult to directly impact the development of one's area without a specific role in Bangladesh.

"My wish to develop this area is what motivated me to become an MP. However, at the end of the day, my primary identity is as a cricketer for Bangladesh. No matter where I have been or in what position, I have always carried cricket in my heart."

Shakib concluded his post by paying tribute to his fans. "You all know that I will soon be playing my last match… I want to say goodbye with all of you around. At the moment of farewell, I want to shake hands with those whose applause compelled me to play better. I want to meet the eyes of those who cheered in joy when I played well and whose eyes welled up with tears when I did not. I believe that at this farewell moment, you will all be with me. Together, we will close the story that, in truth, stars not me, but all of you."