Rafiqul Islam’s lawyers, representing the father of garment factory worker Rubel, who was killed on August 5 in Dhaka’s Adabor, have demanded the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) immediately ban Shakib Al Hasan from all forms of cricket. Shakib, who was named in an FIR along with 146 others during recent riots in Bangladesh that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, faces this legal action. The BCB has stated that Shakib’s status will be reviewed after the conclusion of the Pakistan vs Bangladesh first Test in Rawalpindi, which is set to end on Sunday.
Advocate Md Rafinur Rahman, represented by lawyer Shajib Mahmood Alam, has sent a legal notice to the BCB via email and registered post, demanding Shakib’s removal. The notice, obtained by Cricbuzz, cites ICC regulations that prohibit a player named in a criminal case from participating in international cricket.
The notice also requests Shakib’s return to Bangladesh to assist in the murder investigation and for the ICC to be informed of this development. BCB President Faruque Ahmed, after a meeting with board directors, acknowledged they have yet to receive the notice but assured that a decision on Shakib will be made after the Test series concludes.
“We have not yet received the legal notice. The FIR is just the initial step; further investigation and legal proceedings will follow. For now, our focus is on the ongoing Test match. After the match ends, we will review the situation and make a decision,” Faruque said.
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He added, “The FIR is preliminary and no charges have been filed yet. It’s challenging to make a decision before receiving the legal notice. Shakib’s relationship with the BCB is based on a player-employer contract. We will address the issue once we have received the notice and reviewed it. We cannot withdraw him from the middle of a Test match.”
Regarding the upcoming Test series against South Africa, Faruque expressed confidence in hosting the games despite recent political unrest that led to the ICC relocating the Women’s T20 World Cup from Bangladesh to the UAE.
“We are in communication with Cricket South Africa and do not anticipate issues with hosting the bilateral series. There are logistical and security concerns for tournaments, but we do not foresee any problems for a bilateral series. South Africa does not have a travel ban, so we expect no issues,” Faruque concluded.
