Dhaka, May 3 -- For now, Shakib Al Hasan's cricketing life continues on foreign soil, in franchise leagues far from the grounds where he built his name as Bangladesh's finest all-rounder.

The 39-year-old, who recently attended the launch of the EU T20 Belgium tournament in Mumbai as captain of Royal Brussels, now lives in the United States with his family. Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on Aug 5, 2024, the former Awami League MP has not been able to return to Bangladesh.

In a lengthy telephone interview with bdnews24.com from Mumbai, Shakib spoke about the uncertainty surrounding his return home, the future of his cricket and political career, the ban on Awami League politics, the July Uprising, changes at the Bangladesh...