The cricketing mood has changed in Dhaka. No, Bangladesh has not decided to join the T20 World Cup. He can’t even join the ongoing tournament anymore. But in Bangladesh where politics and cricket mirrored each other’s drama in the past few months, a change in governance in Dhaka is already showing.
A few hours after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government led by Tariq Rahman was sworn in on Tuesday, the new Minister of State for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque indicated that he wants Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza back in Bangladesh cricket.
Both the former captains, who were once elected as Awami League MPs, are facing multiple cases and have since remained out of the country or out of the public eye. deadly protests toppled the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
Shakib was specifically banned from representing Bangladesh during the interim government of Muhammad Yunus. The new administration’s message is now “flexibility and tolerance.”
Interestingly, Minister Aminul Haque’s remarks follow reports that in several parts of Bangladesh, local BNP leaders facilitated the reopening of Awami League offices following its victory in the February 12 elections.
On February 14, Bangladeshi sports channel T Sports asked BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul, “Will Shakib stay in cricket or not?” He replied: “That depends on his form. I never wanted, nor do I believe in politics in sport. Whoever deserves it should stay.”
The BNP leadership has now spoken out for both the cricketers. But before the news from BNP, the caretaker regime hinted at Shakib’s return. When Bangladesh cricket faced widespread criticism at home and abroad for its T20 World Cup exit, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) brought up Shakib as a distraction. On the same day, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland for the T20 World Cup and BCB officials hinted that Shakib may be allowed to return. This statement came even as the BCB redlined Shakib’s return a few days ago.
Many people found BCB’s changing stance disturbing.
Here’s a detailed look at what the new BNP sports minister had to say about the two players who were loyal to the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League.
NEW BANGLADESH SPORTS MINISTER, NEW TONE ON SHAKIB AND MASHRAF
Hours after he was sworn in on Tuesday afternoon, Aminul Haque said he wanted the issues “to be resolved quickly so that Shakib and Mashrafe can return to Bangladesh cricket”, Dhaka-based Prothom Alo reported.
Aminul Haque is a former Bangladesh football captain.
Since 5 August 2024, when protests ousted Hasin’s regime, Shakib Al Hasan, who was earlier elected as an Awami League MP, could not return to Bangladesh. Another former Bangladesh captain and ex-Awami League MP, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, has also not been seen in public for over a year and a half. Several cases, including murder, were filed against both Bangladeshi cricketers during the interim regime of Muhammad Yunus.
“As there are cases against them, I also want them to be resolved quickly so that Shakib and Mashrafe can return to Bangladesh cricket. We want to prioritize this matter with flexibility and tolerance,” Aminul said, according to the paper. He added that decisions regarding court cases should be taken “at the state level so that he can return to Bangladesh quickly”.
Both cricketers face charges of murder. Shakib is also battling corruption charges.
NEW BANGLADESH STANCE SHAKIB, MASHRAFE, CONTRAST THE YUNUS REGIME LINES
The new tone of the new BNP government marks a departure from the hardline stance taken by the Yunus regime a month ago, where individuals were legally punished regardless of merit for their association with Hasina’s Awami League.
On 30 September 2025, the Yunus regime’s then Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain stated that Shakib will no longer be able to represent Bangladesh. Bhuyain was the Sports Advisor until December.
In a television interview with Dhaka-based Channel 24, Bhuyain said: “He will not be allowed to carry the Bangladeshi flag. Wearing the national jersey is simply something I cannot allow.” He further instructed the BCB that “Shakib Al Hasan will never play for the Bangladesh team again”.
The confrontation escalated after Shakib posted a photo of himself with Sheikh Hasina with the caption “Happy Birthday Apa”. Apa means elder sister.
Asif Mahmud responded by saying that “one whose hands are wet with the blood of students and people cannot carry the flag of Bangladesh”. He accused Shakib of being “deeply involved in Awami League politics” and listed allegations ranging from cases of murder to financial impropriety.
Speaking to Channel 24, Shakib defended himself. “From that connection, I can desire her. Other than that, there is no other motive, no hint, nothing like that,” Shakib told the news channel.
The verdict then seemed final. Shakib’s international career seemed to be over. The timing of the renewed outreach appears to be more political than sports-related.
WHAT BEHIND BANGLADESH’S CHANGE TO AWAMI LEAGUE-LOYALIST CRICKET?
The move comes amid turmoil in Bangladesh and BCB.
Reacting to BCB’s statement in January, which was seen by many as a distraction, veteran Bangladeshi journalist Ariful Islam Roney told India Today Digital that the development was “absolutely ridiculous”.
He pointed to contradictions in earlier board positions that demanded an apology and remorse from Shakib. “Nothing has changed since then,” Rony said, claiming the appeal appeared to be a “publicity stunt and face-saving act”.
BCB itself has been in flux, with high-profile resignations and allegations of dysfunction.
Directors resigned, audit committee disputes erupted, and the inner workings were called into question.
Now, under the BNP rule, the news about Shakib and Mortaz is vastly different.
Aminul Haque admitted that he had earlier questioned the BCB election process, calling it “very questionable”. On his latest stance, Haque said: “Since I am now in a position of responsibility, I will sit with them and determine through discussion how we can move to a better position.”
Reaching out to Shakib and Mortaza is therefore part of a wider recalibration. It also signals an attempt to reverse what the BNP sees as the omissions and excesses of the Yunus regime, and separate sporting merit from political allegiance. After all, both Shakib and Mortaza are Bangladesh cricket legends.
– The end
Issued by:
Sushim Mukul
Published on:
February 19, 2026