The anti-government protests in Bangladesh, which escalated over the last few days, led to the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday. She later fled the country in a military plane.
The violence also led to former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza’s residence in Narail being destroyed by protesters. Mortaza is a Member of Parliament from Hasina’s Awami League party.
The “Swaadhin (independent)” chant seems to have become the buzzword among several protesters. Former Bangladesh cricketer Mohammad Ashraful, though, has been livid about the prevailing situation.
“It’s good that Sheikh Hasina is no longer in power now. Sobai swaadhin kothata bolse theeki, kintu se (Hasina) polailo toh polailo, deshtaare prochur kkhoti koira diyaa gyalo (People are talking about being independent now that Hasina has fled, but she did a lot of damage to the country),” Ashraful said from the United Kingdom, where he’s currently playing for Portsmouth Cricket Club.
“Over the last few days, so many businesses have been ruined. Students’ studies have been horribly affected for the past month... It’s as bad as an irreparable loss,” Ashraful, whose relatives and friends back in Bangladesh are “safe”, lamented.
While there were claims regarding slight improvement in the situation on Tuesday, many are still living in fear. “My brothers and sisters in Bangladesh cannot step out of the house. Such is the situation there,” former Bangladesh captain Aminul Islam Bulbul, currently a development manager at the International Cricket Council (ICC), said from Melbourne.
With hundreds losing their lives because of the unrest, some social media posts are trying to worsen the scenario by spreading rumours. One of them claimed Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Litton Das’ house was set ablaze, which actually was that of their former skipper Mortaza.
“Thanks for the concern. That’s not my house. I am safe with my family members,” Litton confirmed via a text message to The Telegraph on Tuesday evening.
Even star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan’s party office at Magura wasn’t spared. So wasn’t BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) president Nazmul Hassan Papon’s ancestral house at Bhairab, Kishoreganj.
The cricket team’s upcoming tours of Pakistan and India are “still on” despite
the circumstances, but will Bangladesh remain in a position to stage the ICC
Women’s T20 World Cup which is scheduled to begin in October?
“If the situation there doesn’t improve drastically, don’t think it will be possible to stage the T20 World Cup there. The security of the women cricketers will be at stake,” said an ICC source.
“Besides, the ICC’s awareness programmes before a World Cup, like Cricket for Good (created as the ICC’s global community outreach programme), won’t be possible there unless things improve. The tournament may move to Dubai.”
The office of Abahani Limited Dhaka, owned by those owing allegiance to the Awami League, has also been ransacked.
A glimmer of hope for a better future, however, remains, feels Ashraful. “I’m sure those who come to power next will keep the students’ protest in mind. You can’t stay in power and start taking things for granted.”
