Bangladesh star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan thinks he can win again if he contests the next general election from Magura-1 again, the seat where he first got involved in politics.  The former Bangladesh cricket captain talked about his short time in politics and said that his win in 2024 was due to real public support. He also said that the people of Magura still trust and love him.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Sun, Shakib opened up about his six-month experience in politics, his motivations, and the lessons he has learned since. “It’s true that I was involved in politics for about six months. After the election, I think I went to Magura for maybe three days. I played cricket for four to five months, and I was out of the country for about the same amount of time, so where would I have found the time to properly engage in politics or understand the situation on the ground?

The then Prime Minister told me, You don’t have to do politics; just focus on playing cricket,” and I followed that advice. I didn’t have any other agenda. It wasn’t about jumping into politics headfirst—it was about getting started within the system. That was my only reason for entering, and people can think what they want. If I made a mistake, then the people coming into power now will not be there forever. That’s just the law of nature—whether it's 10 years or 20 years, they will also not be in the same place forever. If another party comes to power, they too will not be there forever, and so on. The cycle continues, and you can’t predict when it will end.

The important thing is that we need to change our thinking. If you think about it deeply, people have two fundamental rights: the right to vote and the right to join any political party they choose. If you feel the system is wrong, how can you change it? How can you do it on your own? For how long? Eventually, you’ll need help, and that help must come from all quarters. When everyone comes together, that’s when real change can happen.

If you look at the system in Bangladesh, everything happens through the power of the pen, and you can’t go outside the boundaries of the law. There are certainly exceptions, but they are just that—exceptions. The reason I entered politics was simple and clear: I wanted to work for the people of Magura.”

Shakib, who was elected as an MP during the last national election, claimed he had no hidden political agenda. “I always felt that as long as I was playing cricket, that should be my priority. I could have easily quit cricket and become a full-time politician, but that was never the case. My plan was to play in the Champions Trophy, and after that, I would gradually transition into politics once I understood it better and could work for the people.”

He added, “if it was a mistake for me to join politics, then anyone who joins politics in the future would also be making a mistake. Whether it's a doctor, a barrister, a businessman—anyone joining politics could be making a mistake. But joining politics is a right for any citizen, and anyone can do it. Whether people vote for you or not is up to them. I think I was right when I joined, and I still believe I was right, because my intention was to work for the people of Magura. I felt I could do something for them, and I also felt that the people of Magura wanted me. I believe I had a fair election in my constituency, and I don’t think anyone would doubt that if I ran again, no one else would win. So, naturally, I don’t see anything wrong in what I did. When I ran for election, I wanted an opportunity to serve the people of Magura, and the people gave me that chance. Unfortunately, I couldn’t serve them as I wanted, and that’s something I accept.”

Responding to critics who questioned his entry into politics, Shakib argued that most of the criticism came from outside Magura, not from his constituency. “People can argue all they want that my entering politics wasn’t the right decision, but most of the people saying that are not voters from my area. The voters from Magura, however, think differently, and that's what matters. I made a wish, and I ran for election. If people want to vote for me, they can; if they think otherwise, they don’t have to vote for me. It’s as simple as that.

“I don't think a lot of change should be expected in my area based on opinions from people outside my constituency, who claim that entering politics was the wrong decision. I still believe that if I run for election today, the people of Magura will vote for me because they believe I can do something for them.”

He also emphasized that he entered politics with sincere intentions — to bring meaningful change and work for the development of his home region. “The thing I keep saying is that unless you enter the system, how can you bring about change? My intentions were honest, and I don’t see why there should be any tension when the intentions are pure. It’s not like I entered politics to gain something or for personal reasons. I went in to give something, and if that was wrong, then I accept that it was wrong.”