Clash breaks out between 'Shakibians' and students protesting against Shakib

The first Test between Bangladesh and South Africa at the Sher-E-Bangla Stadium on October 21 (Monday) was marked by a clash between the supporters of and the protesting groups against Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s biggest cricketing star. 

Shakib, who was supposed to be part of the playing 11 in this Test which was designated to be his farewell in the red-ball format, had to withdraw after students protested against him. 

“The group called "Shakibians" chanted slogans, demanding Shakib be reinstated in the Test squad, but was chased away by another group in the presence of security forces,” reported ESPNcricinfo. 

A group called Mirpur Chhatra Janata was the one that had sent the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) a letter asking them not to allow Shakib to play his farewell Test in the stadium situated in the suburb of Dhaka. 

Shakib's fans gathered outside the Sher-E-Bangla for the first time on Friday, demanding his reinstatement in the Test squad. They repeated the protests on Sunday, though this time they were barricaded by security forces.

Shakib, who had not been to Bangladesh since May 2024 when the protests against the Awami League regime got serious and eventually led to its removal in August, had expressed his desire to bid adieu to the longest format of the game in his hometown of Dhaka. 

However, the 37-year-old, who was named in an FIR alongside 137 others during the Student Protests, was a Member of the Parliament (MP) from the Awami League and had not expressed his solidarity with students.

If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out on our content — big time. Download the App here.