Ace Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib al Hasan received death threats for attending a Kali Puja event in Kolkata, India last week. Shakib’s move ignited a storm among the people of Bangladesh, a Muslim majority country for hurting their religious sentiments and he was criticized for the same.
According to Dhaka Tribune, Shakib visited Kolkata’s Kakurgachi via the Petrapole border to inaugurate a Kali Puja mandap at Kolkata’s “Amra Sobai Club” – Beleghata area of the West Bengal capital. The cricketer also was snapped in front of the Kali Mata idol on the 12th of November.
Soon after the pictures went viral, the former Bangladesh captain was heavily criticized for attending a Hindu religious ceremony, and a man named Mohsin Talukdar from Talukdarpara area in Shahpur under Sylhet Sadar Upazila in Bangladesh, even went live on Facebook threatening to kill him.
The man could be seen sporting a sharp weapon while issuing threats to Shakib for hurting the sentiments of Muslims and even vowed to walk from Sylhet to Dhaka to kill the 33-year-old star all-rounder.
However, on Tuesday, November 17, he was arrested by a team of the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police from the Southeastern Sunamganj district.
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A police official privy to the development was quoted as saying in Hindustan Times: “He is now in our custody awaiting subsequent legal procedures.”
Later, the man apologized to the cricketer for the same, but couldn’t escape from the police’s anger.
Meanwhile, Shakib has also issued a public apology after receiving Islamist threats for attending a Hindu ceremony in India by saying he only joined the function briefly.
Shakib said in a Facebook Live on Monday after social media flak: “Media, social media everywhere it was flooded that I went to Kolkata to inaugurate a puja ceremony which actually was not the reason behind my visit and I did not inaugurate puja.”
He continued, “The puja was inaugurated by Firhad Hakim, mayor of Kolkata. In my invitation card it was clearly mentioned that I was not the chief guest for puja. Being a practicing Muslim, I always try to follow the religious customs. Please forgive me if I have done anything wrong.”
The all-rounder further pointed out that he played for Kolkata Knight Riders for a few years, “people there know and love me and the stage, where my programme took place, was next to puja pandal but no religious issues were discussed.”
He signed off by saying, “While I was going back to the car, I had to go through the pandal because all other exits were blocked. There I stopped for a few seconds and as the crowd and organizers requested, I lit a candle which now I feel that I have done wrong.”
