Bangladesh a 'new Pakistan ? ::::: Petrol bomb attack at Shakib Al Hasan's home hours after joining Sheikh Hasina's presser :::: Unidentified individuals threw bricks and stones at the house, shattering windows

Far from normalcy 

(Is Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Joy right in calling Bangladesh a 'new Pakistan ?) 

Petrol bomb attack at Shakib Al Hasan's home hours after joining Hasina's presser

Unidentified individuals threw bricks and stones at the house, shattering windows before attempting to set the property ablaze. 

No injuries were reported.

Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan's home in Magura was attacked and stones were thrown by unidentified individuals on Wednesday evening. 

The incident came hours after Shakib took part in former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina's press conference.  

India allowing ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to interact openly with the media in Delhi was deeply hurtful to Bangladeshis and detrimental to the development of harmonious ties between Bangladesh and India, the Bangladesh government said. 

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The house of former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan came under a petrol bomb attack in Bangladesh's Magura district on Wednesday evening, hours after he participated in a media interaction addressed virtually by ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from Delhi. 

Police said unidentified miscreants vandalised the property and attempted to set it on fire, while local reports claimed petrol bombs were also thrown during the attack.  

The incident took place around 8:45 pm (local time) at Shakib's residence. 

Residents reported hearing loud explosion-like sounds, described as firecrackers, during the attack. Local media reported that petrol bombs were also thrown at the house. However, police have not officially confirmed the use of petrol bombs.

A video posted by Hasina's party, Awami League, showed firecracker-like sounds outside the 39-year-old cricketer's residence. Shakib is a former Awami League MP from the Magura-1 constituency. 

"Several miscreants threw brick chips at the house and vandalised windows. They also tried to set the house on fire," Magura Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdullah Al Mamun told The Daily Star.  

During the interaction, Sheikh Hasina defended her government's handling of the July-August 2024 unrest and claimed the student-led uprising that led to her ouster was a "meticulously designed" regime-change operation rather than a spontaneous protest.

The incident comes amid continuing political tensions in Bangladesh following Hasina's removal from power.

Ahead of the media interaction, leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP) publicly criticised the event and reportedly warned media organisations against carrying or broadcasting Hasina's remarks.

Awami League leaders and supporters have alleged that the attack on Shakib's residence was linked to his participation in the event. However, Bangladeshi authorities have not established any connection between the attack and the media interaction, and police have not identified those responsible.  

Widely regarded as one of Bangladesh's greatest all-round cricketers, Shakib has remained a polarising figure because of his political association with the Awami League.

He was elected as a MP from the Magura-1 constituency in the 2024 general election on an Awami League ticket, a poll that opposition parties criticised as lacking genuine competition.

Following the political upheaval in August 2024, the Awami League was barred from political activities in Bangladesh. 

In her address on Wednesday, Hasina called for the ban on her party to be lifted and reiterated her intention to return to Bangladesh despite facing multiple legal challenges.

 "Anytime, Bangladesh is in a disastrous position, India has always stood by us. They give shelter every time. Govt to Govt relationship is different," the former Bangladesh PM remarked.

ends