A court in Dhaka has imposed a travel ban on former Awami League lawmaker and cricketer-turned-politician Shakib Al Hasan, along with 15 others, in connection with a corruption case. The order was issued by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain following a hearing on two separate petitions filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
According to the petitions, Shakib and the others allegedly amassed illicit wealth by investing several crores of taka in the stock market through irregular means, in violation of stock market regulations. The ACC claimed that Shakib and his co-accused carried out transactions worth Tk 8.97 crore and Tk 4.48 crore with the intent to embezzle funds, thereby breaching Section 19(1) of Rule 24(3) of the microcredit law.
The petitions were filed by ACC Assistant Director Sajjad Hossain and Deputy Director Md Rokonuzzaman, who requested the travel restrictions to prevent the accused individuals from fleeing the country.
The court’s directive prohibits Shakib and the 15 others from leaving Bangladesh until further notice.
It remains to be seen how the ruling would affect Shakib’s cricket commitments. The Bangladesh all-rounder has not played professional cricket since his involvement in the Pakistan Super League in May. He last played for Bangladesh in a Test series against India in October 2024.
The 38-year-old’s return to competitive action in the PSL after a six-month layoff came after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) cleared his bowling action, which had been reported in December 2024 during his stint with Surrey. Despite his comeback, Shakib struggled for form, registering two ducks and taking just one wicket in the tournament.
Shakib had announced plans to retire from Test cricket at home against South Africa, but political turmoil in Bangladesh—culminating in the ousting of the Awami League, of which Shakib was a sitting MP—derailed those plans. Shakib was also not considered for Bangladesh’s Champions Trophy preparation.
Bangladesh will feature in a two-Test series in Sri Lanka from June 17 to June 29 before playing 3 ODIs and as many T20Is in the island nation.
