Of late, Shakib's career has been marred by controversy stemming from his role as a Member of Parliament in the now overturned Awami League government in Bangladesh, following protests in which several hundred civilians - mostly university students - were killed in July and August. He has retired from T20Is and eventually withdrew from travelling to Bangladesh (he is based in the USA with his family) for what would have been his farewell Test in Mirpur in October, as protests - for and against him - were staged in Dhaka. He has not played international cricket since then.