DHAKA: Amid escalating unrest in Bangladesh, former cricket captain Mashrafe Mortaza’s house was reportedly set on fire amid violence and chaos following the resignation and departure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday.
Mortaza, who was also the Member of Parliament for Narail-2 constituency in Khulna division, was re-elected as the candidate of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League in the general elections earlier this year.
Local media reports indicate that vandals attacked Mortaz’s house and set it on fire after the prime minister left the country amid widespread student protests.
Political unrest in the country has forced Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hasan and other officials supporting the ousted Awami League government to flee the country for their safety. According to Cricbuzz, the sports minister there, Zahid Ahsan Hasan, has also left.
The team, which includes senior players like Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque, Shahadat Hossain and Zakir Hasan, was scheduled to leave on Tuesday, August 6, to play two four-day and three one-day matches against the Pakistan Shaheens.
Bangladesh has been in turmoil for the past few weeks due to massive protests against job quotas for descendants of freedom fighters. These protests recently turned violent, leading to a police crackdown that resulted in hundreds of deaths.
The crisis culminated in the raid on the home of longtime president Sheikh Hasina, leading to her resignation and subsequent flight to India. The country’s military has since taken control.
