Dhaka, Bangladesh – In Magura, a sleepy city in southwest Bangladesh, about 168km (104 miles) from capital Dhaka, greater than a thousand individuals are gathered outdoors a circular-shaped auditorium.
The crisp winter air barely minimize brief their enthusiasm as they waited for Shakib Al Hasan – their “boy from the hometown” and arguably the largest sporting icon within the South Asian nation of some 170 million individuals.
Hasan arrived in a swanky SUV, waved his hand like a seasoned politician, and shortly went contained in the auditorium the place once more a few hundred individuals have been ready for him as he appeared for an interview with a preferred YouTuber and speak present host, Rafsan Sabab.
The occasion was a part of a PR marketing campaign forward of the nationwide election in Bangladesh, to be held on January 7, through which Hasan, nonetheless an energetic participant within the nationwide cricket workforce, is contesting from his hometown constituency for the incumbent Awami League (AL) social gathering.
Because the interview started, Sadab requested, with a smile: “Each district of Bangladesh has its personal speciality, be it meals, garment or a monument. Right here in Magura, once I ask anybody about its speciality, they unanimously say: Shakib Al Hasan.”
“Sure, I’d have stated the identical,” Hasan wryly replied. Sadab laughed, so did the viewers.
However that cheeky reply maybe greatest portrays the 36-year-old cricketer, recognized for his aggressive style each on and off the bottom. That he’s usually referred to as the perfect ever athlete Bangladesh has produced additionally helps.
Hasan, at present the captain of Bangladesh’s one-day workforce, is ranked the primary all-rounder by the Worldwide Cricket Council in two of the three codecs of the sport concurrently – one-day internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 – and is ranked third in Take a look at matches.
It’s usually stated that cricket and cinema are the dual obsessions of individuals in South Asia, with some cricketers turning into superstars and adored by thousands and thousands of followers. Some cricketers used their recognition to foray into politics, the previous Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan being the perfect instance.
For Hasan, nonetheless, the scenario is a bit difficult.
‘You name it an election?’
In October, Bangladesh’s opposition events announced a boycott of the election after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina refused to cede energy to a caretaker authorities to carry the vote. Hasina, ruling with an iron fist for 15 straight years, is in search of a fourth time period.
1000’s of opposition activists, primarily from the Bangladesh Nationalist Occasion (BNP), have both been arrested or compelled into hiding following a authorities crackdown since October, elevating considerations concerning the legitimacy of the January 7 election.
Rights teams Amnesty Worldwide and Human Rights Watch have additionally warned the crackdown on the opposition is geared toward subduing these towards the federal government forward of the vote. The federal government denies the cost, accusing the BNP of attempting to sabotage the polls.
On Tuesday, the opposition events started a brand new three-day marketing campaign, asking individuals to not go to the polling centres, whereas the ruling social gathering continued its ballot marketing campaign.
The style through which the election is being held has angered many within the nation.
Hasan, generally known as the “bad boy” of Bangladeshi cricket for a sequence of controversies on the sphere, isn’t proof against the criticism, as he seeks a seat within the nation’s parliament from Magura.
“You name it an election?” requested Ali Ahmed, a distinguished BNP politician in Hasan’s hometown. “It’s a range. Declare Hasan the member of parliament now and save us all of the embarrassment.”
Ahmed’s frustration was echoed by many others in Magura Al Jazeera talked to. Whereas the city isn’t an opposition stronghold, years of an allegedly authoritarian regime and inflation have strengthened the anti-incumbency sentiments among the many voters.
Mohammad Yusuf Ali, a confectionary store proprietor, advised Al Jazeera the Awami League social gathering had robbed individuals of the festivity of a nationwide election.
“We’re being stripped of our voting rights. The final two elections have been a farce. The upcoming one is much more so. Everybody right here is aware of that Shakib [Al Hasan] would be the MP as he has no opponent. Is there any glory in scoring objectives on an empty discipline?” he stated.
“Apart from, I don’t assume he would have gained it if there was a correct election. Shakib is not widespread right here.”
![Shakib Al Hasan](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DSC_0481-1704194537.jpeg?w=770&resize=770%2C513)
Hasan is undoubtedly essentially the most well-known particular person to ever hail from Magura, politician Ahmed stated. He stated the native individuals had been taking immense satisfaction in the truth that the cricketer put the identify of the small city on the world map by being one of many most interesting gamers the sport has produced.
“In tea stalls, eating places and markets, individuals used to activate the TV and sit collectively every time he performed,” he stated.
“However he’s as disconnected an individual as might be from his hometown individuals. He’s conceited, snobbish and ill-mannered. He doesn’t have the capability to carry any political workplace. And by participating on this election, he has most likely misplaced the final little bit of his recognition.”
Hasan’s supporters disagree.
‘Disheartening’
Mehedi Hasan Ujjal, Hasan’s cousin and one among his marketing campaign managers, claimed individuals are embracing him with open arms.
“Simply have a look at the gang Shakib attracts wherever he goes. The gathering and cheering of those individuals converse to how widespread he’s,” Ujjal advised Al Jazeera.
Carrying a kurta and black waistcoat, a garment worn by Awami League politicians, the cricket star has been campaigning in cramped markets and households. On one event, he was seen kneeling in a discipline to embrace a homeless man. The video went viral on social media.
“I’m a sportsman. It doesn’t matter if I develop into a politician. I’ll come right here to play cricket with you a lot instances within the subsequent 5 years. I will likely be there for you in your thick and skinny,” he stated in an handle at a neighborhood college.
![Shakib Al Hasan](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DSC_4603-1704194558.jpeg?w=770&resize=770%2C512)
“The younger individuals of Magura love him,” Noyon Khan, a pharmacy proprietor, advised Al Jazeera, “They’re very completely happy to see Shakib as our MP. Some individuals within the space hate him out of jealousy as a result of he’s wealthy and profitable. However they’re only a few.”
Nazmul Aberdeen Fahim, veteran cricket coach whom Hasan as soon as referred to as his mentor, advised Al Jazeera that individuals “misunderstand” the cricketer. “They assume he’s unapproachable. That’s not true. He’s truly very all the way down to earth.”
Fahim stated Hasan has been capable of break the mould of an “conceited” star cricketer and has became a talented communicator.
“He had it in him. You see, cricketers are suggested to keep away from the general public to focus on their performances. That doesn’t imply they’ll’t run public places of work nicely. In truth, they’ll learn the psyche of the frequent individuals higher than most others,” he stated.
Regardless of a number of makes an attempt, Hasan refused to speak to Al Jazeera, saying he didn’t wish to give any “interview to a international media”. Over a short telephone name, he nonetheless stated it was “the proper time to enter into politics” for him.
Journalist and political analyst Rezaul Karim Rony stated Hasan maybe is the perfect “consultant candidate” of Hasina’s Awami League social gathering.
“Vanity, ignorance, lies, and never giving a rattling to frequent individuals’s needs and calls for – these are the hallmarks of Awami politics within the final decade. Shakib is an ideal embodiment of that.”
Terming the upcoming election as a “large joke”, Rony stated: “If you realize the outcomes earlier than the election, it’s not precisely an election. It’s so disheartening to see sports activities icons and celebrities becoming a member of and selling this charade.”