Legal notice served to BCB regarding the banishment of Shakib Al Hasan, final decision pending after Pakistan vs Bangladesh 1st Test

The legal team representing Rafiqul Islam, the father of garment factory worker Rubel who was tragically killed on August 5 in Dhaka's Adabor, has submitted a formal request to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) demanding the immediate suspension of Shakib Al Hasan from all cricket activities. This request comes after Shakib was implicated in a First Information Report (FIR) alongside 146 others during the recent unrest in Bangladesh which led to the removal of Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina. Shakib's future in cricket will be determined following the conclusion of the ongoing Pakistan vs Bangladesh first Test match in Rawalpindi, scheduled to finish on Sunday. BCB president Faruque Ahmed has stated that a decision regarding Shakib's involvement in the sport will be reached at the conclusion of the match.

Advocate Md Rafinur Rahman, represented by lawyer Shajib Mahmood Alam, has served a legal notice to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) via email and registered post, demanding the immediate removal of Shakib Al Hasan from all forms of cricket. The notice, obtained by Cricbuzz, cites ICC rules stating that a player named in a criminal case cannot participate in the national team.

The notice also requests that efforts be made to bring Shakib back to Bangladesh to aid in the murder case investigation and inform the ICC about this development. BCB President Faruque, after meeting with board directors at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, acknowledged that they are yet to receive the notice. However, he assured that a decision regarding Shakib's participation will be made before the second Test against Pakistan on August 30 at Rawalpindi.

"Let me say about Shakib. A case has been lodged. We are yet to get any legal notice. FIR (first information letter) was given in the case and later there will be an investigation and following that, the case will move in one direction or the other," Faruque told reporters following the meeting.

"Look, now we are playing a Test match and it is very good news that we have played well on the fourth day. Tomorrow is the fifth day, the deciding day of the Test and I think at this point, we haven't thought about taking a stance. After tomorrow, once the game is over, we will sit and take a decision. By this time, we will also be able to say something about the legal notice as we will have received it by that time," he said.

"Look, the FIR is just the first information letter and they are yet to claim any charge as far as I know, so before that, it is difficult to take a decision. The relationship between BCB and Shakib Al Hasan is like a player and an employer according to the contract. After tomorrow, we can think exactly after getting the legal notice and based on that. I cannot withdraw him from the middle of the Test match," he said.

"The second Test match is from August 30, so there is a gap between the games. During this period, we can think about what can be done in this regard," he added.

Faruque on hosting Proteas

Meanwhile, Faruque added that they are confident of hosting South Africa in the upcoming two-match Test series at home as he feels it will not be a problem to play a bilateral series as compared to a global event. Recently, the ICC shifted the ICC T20 Women's World Cup from Bangladesh to the UAE due to political unrest in the country.

"We are communicating with Cricket South Africa as we have some time. To host a tournament, there are a lot of things involved like logistics and security but I don't think there will be any problem playing a bilateral series. South Africa doesn't have any travel ban and the next series is against them. So, I am seeing no problem about it," he said.

Stay informed with the latest updates on live cricket score, cricket players, match schedules and ICC rankings. Keep an eye on your favourite cricket team, including the stellar performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Check out the cricket schedule, track team standings and dive into player stats and rankings on Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times website and app.