Windows were smashed and petrol bombs were thrown at the ancestral home of former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan in Magura, igniting a fire on the upper floor while the property stood empty and no injuries were reported. The assault occurred hours after Shakib joined a virtual event in New Delhi where ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina made her first media address since her 2024 removal and vowed to return in December. Bangladesh has condemned Hasina's appearance and sought her extradition from India; Shakib is also the subject of multiple investigations and has remained abroad since the 2024 uprising.
Petrol-Bomb Attack on Shakib Al Hasan’s Home After Hasina’s Media Address
People burn an effigy of ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her address to The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in Delhi, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on August 5 [Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]
Windows were smashed and petrol bombs were thrown at the ancestral home of former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan in Magura on Wednesday, police said. The assault ignited a fire on the upper floor, but the property was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported.
The attack came hours after Shakib participated in a virtual event organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi, during which ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina made her first public media address since her removal from power in 2024.
Police account and immediate aftermath: Local authorities said a group attacked the family home, smashed windows and hurled petrol bombs that set the top floor alight. Reuters was unable to reach Shakib for comment and officials had not reported arrests at the time.
Hasina's address and context: In an audio message from New Delhi, Hasina reiterated her pledge to return to Bangladesh in December despite being sentenced to death in absentia by a war crimes tribunal in November 2025. She said, "I will return to my people. I know that they may put me in jail or they may kill me, but still I have to go back." The event marked the second anniversary of her ouster and her first media interaction since fleeing Bangladesh in 2024.
Legal and political backdrop: Shakib, who was elected to parliament as an Awami League candidate in January 2024, has remained abroad since the 2024 student-led uprising that toppled Hasina's government. He is subject to multiple investigations, including allegations of murder, embezzlement, fraud and money laundering.
Diplomatic reaction: Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Hasina's media appearance as "an affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh," warning it could damage bilateral ties with India. Dhaka has sought Hasina's extradition; New Delhi says it is examining the request under its legal procedures. Hasina, 78, has been living in New Delhi since August 2024.
Significance: The attack on Shakib's ancestral home highlights rising political tensions surrounding figures associated with the former government and underscores the volatile atmosphere since the 2024 uprising.
Help us improve.
