Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan couldn't stay away from the field for too long despite being occupied in campaigning for the upcoming general elections where he will be contesting for the ruling Awami League from the Magura-1 constituency in his hometown.  

The ace all-rounder, who is recovering from a finger injury, gave the crowd at Magura city's Nomani Maidan a glimpse of his genius with both bat and ball in a tape-tennis exhibition match involving former local players organised to commemorate Bangladesh's Victory Day on Friday.

The venue is a special one for the 36-year-old as it helped kickstart his cricketing journey. After the match, he reminisced about his beginnings as a cricketer at the ground and revealed what made him make the switch from being a pacer to Bangladesh's leading spinner. 

"Gorki bhai told me to come here and play for his team. He saw me play in a tournament and took a liking to how I played. I was so shy that I couldn't come for training on the first day. I came back again the next afternoon. Then I waited and waited, almost till the stroke of dusk before going to him.

"I told him that he asked me to come. He told me to get on and bowl. I bowled a bit on the first day and then bowled spin and batted on the second day. He [Gorki bhai] told me to stick to bowling spin and after that, I became a spinner. Till then, I was a fast bowler or someone who bowled whatever was needed," Shakib told attending journalists after the match on Friday.

The way the events unfolded on Saturday has given the Awami League rank and file a confidence boost, claim leaders of the ruling party.

They said the kind of momentum BNP tried to gather with its grand rally did not come to pass, and it has "hurt the morale of the party activists".

The violence that took place that day was mostly between BNP and the police, leaving the opposition party pitted against law enforcers, said several AL leaders contacted by The Daily Star yesterday.

They said the pressure that the AL has been facing from the West for the last couple of months may now ease a little after Saturday's events.

AFM Bahauddin Nasim, AL joint general secretary, said, "By beating a cop to death, attacking journalists, torching police box and ambulances and throwing brickbats at the chief justice's residence, BNP itself has exposed its true nature, which is of a terrorist organisation."

Visa policy should now take immediate effect on them, he added, citing the the US embassy statement that read it will be "reviewing all violent incidents for possible visa restrictions".

The AL leaders also said the violence has left a dent in the image the BNP has been trying to project over the last few years -- that it believes in peaceful demonstrations.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader alleged that the BNP-Jamaat alliance once again indulged in "brutal activities" to disrupt the country's democratic process.

"Though BNP talked about a democratic movement, in secret it was preparing to implement its terrorist-style politics. It was just biding its time to get back to its old ways, its terrible politics," Quader said at the party president's Dhanmondi office.

AL leaders are also of the opinion that the scale of the violence shows that BNP didn't have control over its own people.

They said they believe the opposition doesn't stand a chance against them and it's apparent especially after the way BNP central leaders left the dias soon after police action,

The AL leaders admitted there was some unease within the ruling party about the final phase in the BNP's oust-government agitation, but Saturday's events made it clear that toppling the government with street demonstrations will be nearly impossible.

Talking to reporters at his office at the Secretariat yesterday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal hinted that law enforcers will go tough on BNP following Saturday's clashes.

He said BNP has showed their original character by "killing and beating policemen, journalists and innocent people and they must be brought to book".

The AL, meantime, will remain on the streets with various programmes till the 12th national polls slated for early January. It will not concede an inch to the BNP, said party sources.

The party will hold peace rally in every district, upazila and thana apart from its programmes in the capital to counter the three-day "countrywide blockade" that BNP will enforce on October 31, November 1 and 2.

On those three days, the ruling party men will take position at every unit office across the country to resist BNP if the latter resorts to violence centering on its blockade programme.

Actress Mahiya Mahi entered the Dhallywood industry with the film "Bhalobasar Rong". Over the course of 11 years, Mahi has expanded her career beyond the film industry, making appearances in the field of politics through diverse platforms. The actress engaged in political activities for several months now, actively participating in various Awami League meetings. There were indications that she would participate in the 12th national elections for Awami League. This speculation was confirmed on Saturday. A representative of Mahi collected the party nomination form of Bangladesh Awami League from the Chapainawabganj-2 constituency. This confirmation was posted on Facebook.

Mahiya Mahi spoke with the media yesterday and stated that a representative has collected the nomination form on her behalf. The actress posed while holding the nomination form with her husband Rakib Sarkar, mother Dilara Yasmin, and father Abu Bakar Khokon and shared the image on her official Facebook page. She also confirmed that she will submit the collected nomination form on Monday.

Mahi said, "I am from Chapainawabganj so I have been working for the people there. Those people wanted me to buy a nomination form. The rest actually depends on the party and it will nominate whomever it deems worthy. Nevertheless, I maintain a hopeful outlook; those who are at the policy-making level of the party will make the final nomination after vetting the nominees."

When questioned about the reason for her decision to participate in the parliamentary elections, Mahi said, "As a public representative I will have the opportunity and possibility to work on a much larger scale in comparison to my current reach." 

"The parliamentary seat of Chapainawabganj-2 encompasses three upazilas and presents a substantial area for impactful initiatives. Being a public representative offers a chance to make a significant difference, which might not be feasible for an ordinary individual. I believe that with determination, anything is achievable. From this perspective, I understand that if I were to become a Member of Parliament, I could undertake extensive efforts for the well-being of the people in that region. My primary focus would be on implementing substantial plans, particularly addressing the needs and concerns of the women in Chapainawabganj," she elaborated.

When asked about her intentions for women, Mahi stated, "Under the Awami League's tenure, thhas been significant progress in agriculture nationwide. Given that my region is also agriculturally inclined, I aspire to further enhance and support the agricultural sector."

Read more

People will love on-screen chemistry with Sonal: Shakib Khan

"My primary focus will be on agriculture. Additionally, inspired by the exemplary leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister, who has demonstrated the essence of women's leadership and the importance of self-respect, I am committed to empowering the women of Chapainawabganj. My efforts will be directed towards fostering their progress and encouraging them to move forward with dignity," she said.

"My job would be to guide them to becoming independent women entrepreneurs right from the comfort of their homes. The objective is to enable women to earn income independently, allowing all female members of the family to achieve financial independence. Given that we reside in the era of Smart Bangladesh, the focus will be on utilising the country's technology to empower and create entrepreneurs seamlessly from one household to another," the hopeful actress explained.