Bangladesh’s cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has been at the center of intense discussions on social media and in the streets over the past few days. The excitement has even spread to the Mirpur Stadium area. Amidst this tension, a new allegation has surfaced against Shakib’s supporters. It has been confirmed to Bangladesh Media Monitor by a person named Rezwan Rahman Sadid that he received death threats over the phone from Shakib’s supporters.

Rezwan Rahman Sadid, primarily a part-time content creator, has worked with UtpolShuvro.com and Pavilion. He has also contributed features for Prothom Alo and Roar Bangla. However, Sadid has been vocal online from the very beginning against Shakib’s absence from playing in Dhaka. He has been actively campaigning against Shakib’s absence.

Sadid told Bangladesh Media Monitor that as soon as he began posting online about Shakib, he started receiving harassment in the comments from Shakib's fans, known as “Shakibians.” The harassment increased as Shakib’s return to play in the country became more uncertain. Various accounts began sending him threatening messages in his inbox, trying to intimidate him.

Sadid added, “On the morning of the 17th, I received a call from this number (+88029697605526), where I was threatened in various ways, including threats to kill me. I discussed this with my acquaintances, and they advised me to file a General Diary (GD) with the police. However, I feel concerned about my safety and, out of fear, I am not going out much.”

Shakib Al Hasan is a former MP from the Magura-1 constituency and once the world’s number one all-rounder. Shakib, who was ‘elected’ as an MP from the Awami League, was barred from playing by supporters of the anti-establishment uprising. His fans, known as “Shakibians,” have been devastated by this, but if their reaction is so extreme, it raises a new question: Is this related to cricket, or is it political?