Shakib in fresh controversy for evading quarantine

Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who just finished serving a one-year ban for failing to report corrupt approaches, created a fresh controversy after avoiding quarantine terms upon his arrival from the USA on Friday, reports UNB.

Within nine hours after arriving in Dhaka, Shakib appeared in public to inaugurate a super shop in the Gulshan area of the capital. He was seen cutting a ribbon and mingling among the other dignitaries, some of whom were without a face mask.

Shahriar Sazzad, a physician at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka, suggested to the media that it's a violation of law to avoid a home quarantine after arriving in Bangladesh from abroad.

"There are no facilities to test Covid-19 at the airport. We just see their papers to check if someone is tested negative in the past 72 hours, and we also see their temperature. If someone is negative, he has to maintain a home quarantine. If someone is tested positive in the last 72 hours, we send them to the hospital. But if someone has no papers to prove his Covid-19 status, we send them to institutional quarantine," he told a local media outlet.

Unlike Shakib, every foreign member of Bangladesh national team's coaching staff had to maintain a strict quarantine upon their arrival in Bangladesh recently.

Shakib was unavailable to comment regarding the development.

Earlier, BCB's chief physician Debasish Chowdhury had told the media that they will request the government to reduce the period of quarantine for Shakib if he is tested negative.

Shakib returned home from the USA after a month. He has served a year-long ban due to failing to report corrupt approaches made to him. His ban came to an end on October 29. The southpaw is now available to play any form of cricket.

The allrounder will undergo a fitness test on November 09 ahead of a five-team T20 league. It'll be his first competitive cricket event after serving the ban. Shakib said he is eager to make his comeback memorable. The allrounder played his last recognized cricket back in October 2019 in the Caribbean Premier League. Shakib might get a chance to make his comeback to international cricket early next year when the West Indies will visit Bangladesh for a full series.

Shakib had a month-long individual practice programme in BKSP in September.

Shakib played his last international match later last year against Zimbabwe at the home. Right before Bangladesh's India tour for a three-match T20 and two-match Test series, Shakib was handed a two-year ban with one year is suspended.