“Firstly, I would like to pay my respects to all the students who sacrificed their lives, led the anti-discrimination movement, and were martyred or injured during the people’s uprising,” Shakib wrote on his Facebook page. “I extend my deepest respect and condolences to them and their families. While no sacrifice can compensate for the loss of a loved one, nothing can fill the void of losing a child or a brother, to those of you who were hurt by my silence during this critical period, I respect your feelings and sincerely apologise. If I were in your place, I too might have been upset.”
Shakib was playing in the Global T20 Canada franchise league during the violence in Bangladesh in July. During one of the matches in early August, Shakib argued with a fan who had asked him about his silence on the upheaval back home.
“I want to say goodbye with all of you around. At the moment of farewell, I want to shake hands with those whose applause compelled me to play better. I want to meet the eyes of those who cheered in joy when I played well and whose eyes welled up with tears when I did not.”
In his long Facebook post on Wednesday, Shakib duly spoke of why he had joined politics last year. He had got an Awami League nomination, and went on to win comfortably from the Magura-1 constituency.
“I was briefly the member of parliament from the Magura-1 constituency. My political involvement was primarily driven by my desire to contribute to the development of my hometown Magura. As you know, it is difficult to directly impact the development of one’s area without a specific role in Bangladesh.
“My wish to develop this area is what motivated me to become an MP. However, at the end of the day, my primary identity is as a cricketer for Bangladesh. No matter where I have been or in what position, I have always carried cricket in my heart.”
Shakib concluded his post by paying tribute to his fans. “You all know that I will soon be playing my last match… I want to say goodbye with all of you around. At the moment of farewell, I want to shake hands with those whose applause compelled me to play better. I want to meet the eyes of those who cheered in joy when I played well and whose eyes welled up with tears when I did not. I believe that at this farewell moment, you will all be with me. Together, we will close the story that, in truth, stars not me, but all of you.”
