Decision on Shakib to be made after the first test, says BCB president

A murder case has been filed against Shakib Al Hasan. In connection with this case, a Supreme Court lawyer has sent a legal notice to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) asking for Shakib to be withdrawn from the national team and brought back to the country for the investigation.

BCB President Faruque Ahmed has stated that while they are aware of the case, they have not received any legal notice yet. He further mentioned that a decision regarding Shakib will be made after the ongoing first Test match against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

On Saturday, Faruque Ahmed held a meeting with the board directors at the BCB office. The discussion covered several topics, but the primary focus of the media was Shakib's situation. Although the BCB President did not reveal the decision that will be made about the experienced all-rounder, he confirmed that a decision would indeed be taken.

Faruque Ahmed told reporters, "A case has been filed, but we haven't received the legal notice yet. So, I can't comment on that. An FIR (First Information Report) has been lodged, and an investigation will follow.

The case will proceed after that. At the moment, as the Test match is ongoing and tomorrow is the fifth day of the Test, we haven't thought about taking any action. We believe that after the conclusion of tomorrow's match, we will sit and make a decision."

The second Test of the series is set to begin on August 31. Before that, a decision on Shakib will likely be made, hinted the BCB President. "When an FIR is lodged, charges haven't been framed yet. It's difficult to make a decision before that. Recently, there has been significant unrest, with many lives lost. We are still sympathetic, and we haven't forgotten. At the moment, the Test match is ongoing. Shakib's relationship with BCB is that of a player and an employee. After tomorrow's match, we will review and then make a decision. Shakib is not restricted from playing at the moment. We won't withdraw him in the middle of the match."

On Saturday, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Sajib Mahmud Alam, on behalf of lawyer Mohammad Rafinur Rahman, sent the legal notice to BCB. Barrister Alam informed reporters that since a criminal case has been filed against Shakib, he is not eligible to remain in the national cricket team according to ICC regulations. He stated that Shakib should be immediately removed from the cricket team and brought back to the country for the sake of the investigation.

The murder case was filed against Shakib, accusing him of ordering the killing of garment worker Rubel during a discriminatory student movement. The case was filed by Rubel's father, Rafiqul Islam, at the Adabar Police Station of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on August 22.

Shakib has been named as the 28th accused in the case. Among the other accused are former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, along with 156 others. Additionally, 500 unidentified individuals have also been named as accused.