New Delhi: Bangladesh cricket stalwart Shakib Al Hasan apologised for keeping the "silence" during the recent civil unrest against ousted PM Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh in July, which resulted in hundreds of deaths, hoping that will clear the decks for his farewell Test match at home against South Africa from October 21 to 25, 2024.
Notably, it is the first time that Shakib has explicitly said anything about the student-led protest which brought the fall of the longstanding Awami League-led government - in which he was a member of parliament (MP).
The prolific all-rounder has recently announced that he will be retiring from the longest format of the game after the first Test against the Proteas in Mirpur.
"Firstly, I would like to pay my respects to all the students who sacrificed their lives, led the anti-discrimination movement, and were martyred or injured during the people's uprising," Shakib, who has been named as an accused in a murder case in Bangladesh, wrote on his official Facebook page.
"While no sacrifice can compensate for the loss of a loved one, nothing can fill the void of losing a child or a brother, to those of you who were hurt by my silence during this critical period, I respect your feelings and sincerely apologise. If I were in your place, I too might have been upset," wrote the all-rounder, a MP in the Hasina government who was overthrown owing to a student protest against quota in jobs.
The 37-year-old has been accused of being involved in the murder of a student during the unrest but Shakib was playing a T20 league in Canada then. Bangladesh Cricket Board's new president, Faruque Ahmed, had later dismissed the cricketer's request to approve him a security, saying that the BCB was not a security agency and could not guarantee any cover for him.
"As you know, it is difficult to directly impact the development of one's area without a specific role in Bangladesh. My wish to develop this area is what motivated me to become an MP. However, at the end of the day, my primary identity is as a cricketer for Bangladesh. No matter where I have been or in what position, I have always carried cricket in my heart," Shaikb added.
Shakib's public apology is likely to ensure that he gets a farewell in Bangladesh Whites at his favourite 'Sher-e-Bangla' Stadium in Mirpur. "You all know that I will soon be playing my last match. I want to say goodbye to all of you. At the moment of farewell, I want to shake hands with those whose applause compelled me to play better."
He then went on to make an emotional plea to all his fans. "I want to meet the eyes of those who cheered in joy when I played well and whose eyes welled up with tears when I did not. I believe that at this farewell moment, you will all be with me. Together, we will close the story that, in truth, starts not me, but all of you."
