Former Bangladesh cricket captain and Awami League politician Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has publicly extended birthday greetings to the ousted former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, sparking considerable attention across social media platforms.
The former national team pace bowler shared the message on his verified Facebook page on Monday afternoon, keeping his text concise with the brief caption, “Happy birthday, daughter of Bangabandhu…” Accompanying the short greeting was a visual tribute that featured a photograph of Sheikh Hasina overlaid with a symbolic image of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of Bangladesh, alongside the Bangladeshi flag and the words “Happy Birthday”.
Sheikh Hasina, who served as Prime Minister for over fifteen years before fleeing to India following a violent student-led uprising, celebrated her 78th birthday against a dramatically altered political backdrop. Her departure marked the end of an era during which the ruling Awami League maintained a firm grip on the nation’s governance.
Mashrafe’s public post comes at a particularly sensitive juncture for both himself and his party colleagues. Following the political upheaval, the former lawmaker for the Narail-2 constituency—who first entered parliament under the Awami League banner in 2018—has faced mounting legal and political pressure at home. Alongside several other prominent politicians, former officials, and public figures associated with the previous regime, Mashrafe has been named in multiple cases filed in the aftermath of the unrest.
Despite the intense scrutiny surrounding former party members and the widespread backlash against the former administration, Mashrafe’s decision to publish the greeting highlights the deep-seated ideological ties that remain among key figures of the Awami League. The post quickly went viral, drawing thousands of reactions and comments from across the political spectrum, reflecting the deeply polarized public sentiment that continues to define contemporary Bangladeshi political discourse.
