Bangladesh players have rallied behind teammate Shakib Al Hasan, the ousted lawmaker who is facing a murder case linked to unrest that toppled the government earlier this month. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his team's first Test win against Pakistan on Sunday, in which all-rounder Shakib took three wickets in the second innings, was a tribute to the hundreds who died in protests that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to leave power. Bangladesh has endured weeks of student-led protests, which led to Hasina fleeing to India by helicopter on August 5, ending 15 years of autocratic rule.
Shakib, 37, who lost his job as a member of parliament for Hasina's Awami League party when parliament was dissolved, is “a great asset to our country,” Shanto said in a Facebook post on Monday night.
“He has been keeping Bangladesh's name high in the world for 17 years,” Shanto said.
Rafiqul Islam, the father of one of the hundreds of people killed in the civil war, filed a murder case against Shakib and 155 others in Dhaka on Thursday.
Hasina's government has been accused of widespread abuses, including the mass imprisonment and extrajudicial killing of political opponents.
The accused also include Hasina, former ministers and other former parliamentarians.
Shakib has not spoken publicly about the matter, but his teammates said they offered him support.
“Such a case against Shakib bhai (brother) is unexpected,” Shanto added.
“In the new Bangladesh, we all want to see something new. I hope all the darkness will pass and new light will come.”
Veteran batsman Mushfiqur Rahim said on Facebook: “I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm proud to play alongside a champion like Shakib.
“As a teammate and brother, I will be there for him in difficult times. I do not support the false accusations against him, because I know he would never commit inhumane acts.”
Bangladesh recorded their first win over Pakistan in 14 Test matches with a convincing 10-wicket victory on Sunday after both teams struggled in the hot conditions on the flat Rawalpindi pitch.
The second and final Test will also be played in Rawalpindi from Friday.
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