A Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant on Sunday for Bangladeshโs celebrated all-rounder and politician, Shakib Al Hasan, in connection with a dishonoured cheque case involving IFIC Bank. Shakib, a former Awami League lawmaker, has been living abroad since the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a student movement, and the warrant also extends to three other individuals linked to the case.
The arrest order was issued by Dhakaโs Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Ziadur Rahman. The case dates back to December 15, when Shakib was named in a cheque fraud complaint. Following an initial hearing on December 18, the court directed him to appear before it on January 19. However, Shakib failed to comply, leading to the arrest warrant.
The case was filed by Shahibur Rahman, the Relationship Officer at IFIC Bank, who accused Shakib and three others of defaulting on a BDT 4,14,57,000 (approximately 41.4 million Tk) payment. This amount was to be settled through two cheques, but both were dishonoured due to insufficient funds. The legal action also implicates Shakibโs company, Al Hasan Agro Farm Ltd., as well as its Managing Director Gazi Shahagir Hossein and directors Emdadul Haque and Malaikar Begum. The company had borrowed money from IFIC Bankโs Banani branch, with the cheques issued as part of the repayment.
In 2023, Shakib ventured into politics, joining the Awami League and winning the Magura-1 constituency in the uncontested January 7, 2024 elections. Despite his political success, his public image began to tarnish, reportedly due to his political ambitions.
Shakib had planned to retire from Test cricket at home during a match against South Africa, but those plans were disrupted when he was charged in a murder case amid political unrest. Citing security concerns and the risk of being interrogated by authorities, Shakib declined to return to Bangladesh. Given his current residence in the United States with his family, it appears unlikely that he will return to Bangladesh anytime soon.
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