Shakib Al Hasan, the captain of the Bangladesh cricket team, won a seat in the country’s Parliament during the general elections on Sunday, January 7. Contesting from Magura-1 for Awami League, Shakib secured a significant victory in the elections, which were boycotted by the opposition. He defeated his closest rival, Kazi Rezaul Hossain, by a margin of 1,50,000 votes, with Hossain securing 45,993 votes. Shakib took a break from cricket to focus on his election campaign. Before the polls, he expressed that while there were challenges, he was not facing any serious barriers.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also secured another term for Awami League, with her party winning 200 out of the 300 parliamentary seats. Although the election commission stated that the Awami League might be proclaimed the winner based on the current results, the counting is still proceeding. The final announcement will be made after counting votes in the remaining constituencies.

Shakib’s last cricket appearance was in the ODI World Cup 2023, where he led Bangladesh to an eighth-placed finish. Bangladesh’s Champions Trophy spot was guaranteed by this outcome, despite the team’s lackluster record; Sri Lanka and the Netherlands were not included. Following the World Cup, Bangladesh played against New Zealand in two different tours, one at home and one away, but Shakib did not participate in any of these assignments