On August 5, protesters in Bangladesh set fire to the house of former cricket captain Mashrafe Mortaza as unrest in the country escalated. The violence intensified following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and departure from the country.
Mortaza, who represents the Narail-2 constituency in Khulna division, won his parliamentary seat as an Awami League candidate in the 2024 general elections under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership. Local reports indicate that Mortaza’s home was targeted and set ablaze by vandals after Hasina left amid widespread student protests.
Watch:
Bangladesh former national captain and currently AL mp Mashrafe Mortaza’s house being burned down.. pic.twitter.com/hteebrdXcJ
— Shishir 🇧🇩 (@shishir_bin) August 5, 2024
During his cricket career, Mortaza captained Bangladesh in 117 matches, amassing 390 international wickets and scoring 2,955 runs across 36 Tests, 220 ODIs, and 54 T20Is. After retiring from cricket, Mortaza joined the Awami League in 2018 and was elected as an MP.
The unrest is also affecting cricket events, with the ICC monitoring the situation closely and considering relocating the Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled for October. The violence has persisted even after Hasina’s departure, with a mob attacking the Sherpur District Jail during a curfew, vandalizing the facility, freeing over 500 inmates, and stealing weapons and valuables.
In the absence of Hasina, Bangladesh will be governed by a caretaker government led by the military.
