Bangladesh has lost in six out of seven matches. The team is also at the bottom of the points table. Bangladesh has not performed so poorly in any other World Cup Cricket. The chances of playing in the next Champions Trophy have vanished. Downside morale among the players of the Bangladesh Cricket Team has been reflected in their shabby performances. Moral degradation of the players along with the team’s captain Shakib Al Hasan is responsible for this predicament. Ignoring team’s standards of discipline and code of conduct are also being blamed as reasons.
From the information secured from various sources, Bonik Barta found that Shakib Al Hasan has been involved in many controversies. Leaving the team during the tournament to open a showroom at home, and being a brand ambassador of a betting site which is accused of money laundering are recent examples of his negligence. The opening of the showroom whose owner is accused of killing a policeman in Dubai has created a huge stir among his followers. He has invested huge amounts in various companies in the Stock Market through a person who is accused of stock manipulation. In the past three years, his name came up several times in the short list of suspicious traders who manipulated several companies in DSE. Earlier in 2019, he was banned for two years by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for concealing match-fixing proposals. However, the punishment of the ICC could not stop him from economic crimes.
Last year Shakib Al Hasan signed a deal to be the brand ambassador for an online betting site called Betwinner, the news which raised a lot of criticism against him at that time. Being any kind of brand ambassador without BCB's approval cricketers get banned. Shakib Al Hasan had not received any approval from the Cricket Board at that time. Even he was not willing to cancel the agreement with the betting site despite the criticism. Due to pressure from BCB he was forced to cancel the contract. After this incident, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police investigated and revealed that through this betting site money was laundered several times from Bangladesh . Some people involved in it were also arrested. After this controversy, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) decided to call off Shakib Al Hasan as their brand ambassador.
Since 2017, Shakib Al Hasan has been engaged as the goodwill ambassador of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), the regulatory body of the capital market. Although there are no restrictions or ethical barriers to investing in the capital market for the cricketers, Shakib Al Hasan's investment in the capital market has many controversies. Especially for the most discussed and criticized investors of the capital market. Investing through Abul Khair Hiru in companies which are mostly suspected as market manipulators has made him part of the controversy. His name also came up in the suspicious transaction list investigated by the stock exchange. However, as the allegation could not be proved beyond doubt, no disciplinary action was taken against him by the BSEC.
Abul Khair Hiru takes care of the investment of Shakib Al Hasan and the national cricket team's cricketers in the capital market. When asked about this, he told Bonik Barta, Right now, no one else has invested in the capital market through me except Shakib Al Hasan. At the end of last year, I sold everyone's shares and distributed their money to them. At present, due to a slump in the capital market, I am not taking responsibility for anyone's investment. A couple of years ago many cricketers invested through me and they all made a profit.
He was asked to know which players other than Shakib Al Hasan have invested through him. Tamim Iqbal, Mehdi Hasan Miraj, Taskin Ahmed and several other cricketers' names were known who invested in the capital market through him.
DSE investigated the trading of shares of Asia Insurance Limited from September 9 to October 22, 2020 in the capital market. At that time, the share price of the company increased from 30 taka 70 paisa to 68 taka 60 paisa. Shakib Al Hasan was among those who traded a significant amount of shares in the company at that time. He sold 200,000 shares against the purchase of 8 lakh 20 thousand shares of the company at that time. BSEC imposed a fine of Tk 72 lakh on Desh Ideal Trust Co-operative Ltd due to share manipulation in Asia Insurance Limited. Md. Abul Khair Hiru is the managing director of this company.
Next year, between May 5 and May 24, 2021, the share price of NRB Commercial Bank Limited increased from 12 taka 40 paise to Tk 33 taka 80 paise. At that time, DSE investigated the bank's share transactions. In this investigation, the name of Shakib Al Hasan came up in the list of significant shareholders of the bank. He sold 1 lakh shares against buying 2.7 lakh shares of the bank. BSEC imposed a fine of Tk 3 crore 75 lakh on Kanika Afroz and her associates due to the share manipulation of the bank. Kanika Afroz is sister of Md.Abul Khair Hiru.
DSE conducted another investigation on the share trading of Fortune Shoes Limited from May 20 to June 17 of the same year. The exchange also sent this investigation report to BSEC. Based on this report, BSEC fined Abul Kalam Matbor and his associates. Abul Kalam Matbor is the father of Md. Abul Khair Hiru. According to the investigation report, cricketer Shakib Al Hasan was among those who traded a significant amount of shares in the company. He sold 1 lakh 83 thousand 243 shares against buying 19 lakh 54 thousand 313 shares of the company.
On November 15, 2021, the share price of One Bank Limited was 12 taka 60 paisa. By November 30, it stood at 20 taka 10 paisa. Shakib Al Hasan's name came up again in the list of significant transactions after investigating the share transactions of the bank at that time. He sold 10 lakh 20 thousand shares against the purchase of 75 lakh 1 thousand 676 shares of the bank at that time. BSEC said because of the bank's share manipulation, Abul Khair Hiru's father Abul Kalam Matbor and his associates were fined 3 crore taka
Shares of non-banking financial institution IPDC Finance Limited were also manipulated last year. Last year on March 29, the share price of the company was 34 taka. On April 24 of the same year, the rate increased to 54 taka 70 paisa. DSE investigated the company's share transactions at that time. During that period, Shakib Al Hasan sold 10 lakh 69 thousand 433 shares against the purchase of 11 lakh shares of IPDC. For manipulating the company's shares, BSEC fined Abul Khair Hiru and his associates 1 crore 50 lakhs.
From June 2021 to March last year, Shakib Al Hasan traded a significant amount of shares of Delta Life Insurance. Apart from this, he has investments in the shares of several other companies.
About the investment of Shakib Al Hasan and other cricketers in the capital market, the executive director and spokesperson of Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) Mohammad Rezaul Karim told Banik Barta, "The cricketers of the country have also invested here because of the need to build a better capital market. Many of them are high-net-worth individuals or high-net-worth investors. As a result, when they trade shares, in many cases, a significant amount of shares end up on the trading list. In the investigation report, Shakib Al Hasan's name came up along with others as a suspected trader in the share transactions of several companies. However, after checking the information of the investigation report, summoning and taking statements from the concerned parties and reviewing the legal aspects, the allegations against Shakib Al Hasan were not proven. Those against whom the charges have been proved, beyond doubt have been fined.
Apart from this, he has been criticized for opening showrooms in the middle of the tournament, coming to the country in the name of taking a rest during the tournament and making commercial deals.
As a star of the Bangladesh team, posh, fame and money have all caught up to Shakib. After 2010, Shakib Al Hasan entered into the business world. He has invested in different sectors one after another. Shakib Al Hasan started his journey as a businessman through investment in the restaurant business. After that, he quickly expanded his business scope. He has investments in various sectors including capital markets, power plants, cosmetics, travel agencies, hotels, event management, crab and shrimp farms, shopping malls, and gold importing companies. Outside the country, he has invested large sums in various countries including the United States, Saudi Arabia. But his success in business could not catch him up like with bat and ball . Most of his institutions in the country are financially poor. He has already sold some companies.
Currently, it is known that Shakib Al Hasan is heading to the United States by limiting his business activities in the country. A few days ago, the Facebook page of Shakib announced the closure of Shakib 75 restaurant. The restaurant was also accused of VAT evasion.
Shakib Al Hasan was banned by the ICC for two years from all forms of cricket in 2019 for concealing match-fixing proposals. There is a rule to notify the ICC's anti-corruption unit after receiving a fixing proposal. By failing to do so, he was pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching the agency's anti-corruption rules. In view of this, the ICC banned him.
Former and current cricketers are of the opinion that Shakib's influence and appeal in the team is much greater than anyone else's contemporaries. Rising stars and junior cricketers follow him. The fact that he has used the title of the team's best player to get away with repeated controversial actions has also affected other cricketers. Like Shakib, they are also encouraged to get involved in various financial activities. In this case, they have imitated Shakib off the field just like Shakib on the field. Being Involved with the controversial characters of the stock market is the most controversial issue.
In addition to investing in the capital market, Shakib also encouraged other players in the team to invest. He connected other members of the team with his own portfolio manager Abul Khair Hiru. For a while, Shakib held his ground despite various controversies with his performances. But he and most of the team's players are unable to perform in the ongoing Cricket World Cup. All in all, the lack of confidence in the whole team is extremely visible. Because they are too much involved in the world outside of cricket this appalling situation emerges.
Shafiqul Haque Hira, the first cricket captain of independent Bangladesh, has found economic and business interests and violation of rules as the main problems in this regard. He said to Banik Barta, "The root of the problems is the abundance of money. Cricketers now have a lot of money. They have less respect for former cricketers or management. This slows down the performance a lot. Advertising, business give much more money than BPL. It is a blessing that he did not get a chance in IPL, otherwise he would have looked for chances to make money through IPL too.
The former cricketer cannot accept Shakib's return to Dhaka in the middle of the World Cup. He said, Shakib who came to Dhaka from Pune instead of going to Kolkata, who gave him permission? Neither the coach nor the board can give him permission. It is an ICC tournament, He has to take permission from the ICC. From training to hotel fare, food, flight ticket everything is borne by ICC. It is not a matter of the board. ICC is spending on him. He will answer them. Everything is being given by ICC, and he is coming to Fahim (Nazmul Abedin Fahim). What more can I say? Has Fahim ever played first division cricket? The actual reason for Shakib's returning is to see whether his works are okay, if his restaurants are okay.
Incidentally, this year Shakib Al Hasan went to Dubai to attend an opening ceremony of a jewelry company owned by Rabiul Islam alias Arav Khan who is accused of killing a policeman. He himself announced his participation in the opening ceremony through a Facebook post. His case caused quite a stir and criticism at that time.
Translated by Nushrat Jahan Sinthia