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

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.

According to police, several



unidentified individuals threw bricks and stones at the house, shattering windows before attempting to set the property ablaze. No injuries were reported.

"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.

Police personnel were deployed outside the residence after the incident. The identities of the attackers and the motive behind the assault are yet to be established.

The attack came after Shakib joined a media interaction addressed virtually by Sheikh Hasina from Delhi. The event was organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia.

During the interaction, 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.