Windows were smashed and petrol bombs hurled at the residence of former Bangladesh cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan, hours after he joined ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's first public media interaction since her removal from power in 2024, during which she pledged to return in December.

Police said a group of people attacked Shakib's ancestral home in Magura town, about 170km (105 miles) southwest of the capital Dhaka, on Wednesday, causing a fire on the upper floor. The property was unoccupied at the time, and no injuries were reported.

Reuters was unable to reach Shakib for comment. The attack came hours after Shakib, a former Awami League lawmaker, participated in a virtual event organized by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi, where Hasina reiterated her intention to return to Bangladesh.

Shakib, who was elected to parliament as an Awami League candidate in January 2024, has remained outside Bangladesh since the student-led uprising that toppled Hasina's government. He faces multiple investigations, including allegations of murder, embezzlement, fraud, and money laundering.

"I will return to my people," Hasina said. "I know that they may put me in jail or they may kill me, but still I have to go back." She also called for the ban on the Awami League to be lifted, a party she led for over four decades.

Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Hasina's media appearance, describing it as "an affront to the sovereignty of Bangladesh" and warning that allowing her to address the media from India could harm bilateral relations. Hasina, 78, has been living in New Delhi since August 2024. Bangladesh has sought her extradition, but India says the request is being examined under its legal procedures.

In November 2025, Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal sentenced Hasina to death in absentia over the deadly crackdown on the 2024 student-led uprising, charges she has dismissed as politically motivated.

Source: www.aljazeera.com