A Dhaka court has issued an arrest warrant for Shakib Al Hasan, the renowned Bangladeshi cricketer and former Member of Parliament, in connection with two bounced bank cheques. The order was issued by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ziadur Rahman, who instructed the police to submit a report on the execution of the warrant by March 24. The case arose after Shakib failed to appear in court as previously directed, following a lawsuit filed by the International Finance Investment and Commerce (IFIC) Bank.
The bank had sent a legal notice regarding the bounced cheques before filing the case against Shakib and three officials from his company, Shakib Al Hasan Agro Farm, on December 24. Currently residing in the United States, Shakib has not returned to Bangladesh due to safety concerns following the civil unrest that led to the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Shakib was elected as a Member of Parliament on an Awami League ticket in the January 2024 elections.
The court also issued an arrest warrant for Gazi Shahagir Hossain, the managing director of Shakib’s agro farm, after he failed to respond to summonses. Meanwhile, two other officials from the farm appeared before the court and were granted bail. Established in 2016 in Satkhira, Shakib’s agro farm has been inactive since 2021. Shakib, often regarded as Bangladesh’s greatest cricketer, played his last Test match against India in Kanpur late last year but is currently banned from bowling due to a suspect action.
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