Bangladesh star player barred from leaving country

A court in Dhaka has issued a travel ban on veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and 15 others amid an ongoing investigation into corruption allegations, according to Bangladeshi media reports on Monday.

The ban was imposed by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain after a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Bangladesh. The ACC claims that Shakib and the other accused were involved in suspicious stock market transactions and illegally acquired wealth worth over Tk 13 crore.

According to court filings by ACC officials Sajjad Hossain and Md Rokonuzzaman, the travel restrictions are necessary to ensure the accused remain in the country during the investigation process.

Shakib, 38, has not played competitive cricket since featuring for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in May. His last appearance for the Bangladesh national team came during a Test series against India in October 2024.

Earlier this year, Shakib also faced an arrest warrant in a separate cheque fraud case, adding to his growing legal troubles.

Once hailed as Bangladesh’s greatest all-rounder, Shakib has had an illustrious cricketing career, playing 71 Tests, 247 ODIs, and 129 T20Is. He has scored more than 14,000 international runs and taken over 700 wickets across formats.

Beyond cricket, Shakib also made a mark in politics, having served as a Member of Parliament for the ruling Awami League before the party was ousted from power in a student-led movement in 2024.

The travel ban will remain in effect until further notice as the ACC continues its investigation. With his legal issues mounting, Shakib’s future in both cricket and politics remains uncertain.