Shakib Al Hasan takes a final call on his last Test match

Bangladesh's talismanic cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has finally opened up on the country's student protests that even led their former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country to save her life.

Shakib has issued an emotional apology for being silent during these protests, which even raised questions over his attitude towards his country. The allrounder has spoken for the first time regarding the protests that led to the fall of the ruling Awami League-led government.

The student protests led to a large number of deaths in Bangladesh which shook up the political system in the country. Shakib Al Hasan was a Member of Parliament from Magura-1 constituency from the party Awami League.

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Shakib Al Hasan issues an emotional apology for student protests

In his long post on his Facebook page, Shakib Al Hasan expressed his condolences to the martyred people and their families. He issued an emotional statement in which he apologized to the people of Bangladesh for remaining silent during this critical period.

"Firstly, I would like to pay my respects to all the students who sacrificed their lives, led the anti-discrimination movement, and were martyred or injured during the people's uprising. I extend my deepest respect and condolences to them and their families," Shakib wrote in his post.

"While no sacrifice can compensate for the loss of a loved one, nothing can fill the void of losing a child or a brother, to those of you who were hurt by my silence during this critical period, I respect your feelings and sincerely apologize," he added.

In his post, Shakib also mentioned why he revealed the reason for joining politics last year. He mentioned that he wanted to contribute to the development of his area but also admitted that he is a cricketer first and everything becomes secondary.

"I was briefly the member of parliament from the Magura-1 constituency. My political involvement was primarily driven by my desire to contribute to the development of my hometown Magura. As you know, it is difficult to directly impact the development of one's area without a specific role in Bangladesh.

"My wish to develop this area is what motivated me to become an MP. However, at the end of the day, my primary identity is as a cricketer for Bangladesh. No matter where I have been or in what position, I have always carried cricket in my heart," Shakib wrote.

Shakib Al Hasan's emotional request to his fans

Shakib Al Hasan has already announced that he wants to play his last Test match against South Africa in Bangladesh, which will begin on October 21. In an emotional post, he expressed his desire to quit the red-ball format in front of his loyal fans.

"You all know that I will soon be playing my last match… I want to say goodbye with all of you around. At the moment of farewell, I want to shake hands with those whose applause compelled me to play better.

"I want to meet the eyes of those who cheered in joy when I played well and whose eyes welled up with tears when I did not. I believe that at this farewell moment, you will all be with me. Together, we will close the story that, in truth, stars not me, but all of you," the post further added.

Will Shakib Al Hasan travel to Bangladesh?

Bangladesh will play a two-match Test series against South Africa at home. Shakib Al Hasan wants to quit Tests after the first Test in Mirpur if he is provided the guarantee of his safe entry and exit from Bangladesh. He is named in a murder case which is about the protests

The president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has stated that he cannot give the guarantee regarding his safety that he wants. However, the sports advisor of the country's interim government had assured the star cricketer of his safety upon his arrival if he cleared out his political stance to the country's citizens.

Since the T20 World Cup 2024 in June, Shakib has not been in Bangladesh. He travelled to Pakistan for Bangladesh's historic series win after which he straight away flew to England to play County cricket. He has already announced his retirement from T20Is.

After playing a game in county cricket, he traveled to India for the two-match Test series, which Bangladesh lost 0-2. Shakib currently lives in the USA with his family.