In 2016, cricketer Shakib Al Hasan established a crab farm in the Datinakhali area of the Satkhira coast, named Shakib Al Hasan Agro Farm, leasing 48 bighas of land from 10-12 local landowners.
It is alleged that Shakib Al Hasan, also an Awami League lawmaker in the recently dissolved parliament, has not paid for the soft-shell crabs taken for his hatchery, with one creditor claiming Shakib owes him and some others over Tk1 crore.
Zulfikar Ali, a resident of Munshiganj, supplied soft-shell crabs to Shakib's hatchery. He said: "We used to collect money at the end of the month along with the crabs. Accounts were managed by the farm's manager. However, I have not been paid for almost three months and I am still owed Tk5-6 lakh."
"A total of four people, including Shakib, his friend Pavel, Imdad, and another, were involved in the farm. We initially entered into business with Shakib due to his reputation. Shakib's name was also on the memo," he added.
Zulfikar Ali said: "After the farm closed in 2021, we tried various ways to recover the money but were unsuccessful. A year ago, I went to Shakib Al Hasan's house in Magura to speak with his father. He mistreated us and kicked us out of the house. I still have the memo as proof of the owed money."
Guru Das of Bhamia village in Burigoalini union died with a debt of Tk30 lakh owed by Shakib Al Hasan, Zulfikar Ali alleged.
He said: "Guru Das supplied hard-shell crabs to Shakib's farm and was owed Tk30 lakh. He, myself, and a few others went to Shakib's house. After Shakib's father abused us, we returned dejected.
"Guru Das's business was struggling. Others were seeking money from him, and Shakib was not paying his dues. Guru Das died of a stroke worrying about this. There are 13-14 of us still owed more than Tk1 crore by Shakib Al Hasan. We want our money back."
Haider Ali, a former UP member of Ward No 7 of Burigoalini union, said: "I am owed Tk50,000 for supplying soft-shell crabs as of today (Wednesday). While my amount is smaller, other creditors are owed significant sums."
After Shakib Al Hasan's crab hatchery closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the landowners hesitated to pay the annual lease.
They then lodged complaints with relevant departments and human rights organizations. The landowners received their money after news of these issues was published.
One landowner, Morali Kayal of Datinakhali village, said: "It was a hassle to get the money. Earlier, we had to protest to receive payments. The contract period runs until 2025. After that, we will not lease the land to anyone else. We are 10-12 landowners."
He also complained: "Illegally constructed buildings on our land were not mentioned in the agreement. Now, nobody lives there, and they have not been seen since the farm closed. The site is just lying there."
When contacted over the phone, Shakib Al Hasan said that the government incentives would compensate the landowners.
"We are facing losses. Orders worth Tk5 crore were cancelled amid the pandemic. We will pay the dues to the affected landowners if we receive a government loan as an incentive," said Shakib at the time.
Later, the landowners confirmed they had received their payments.
As Shakib Al Hasan is currently out of the country, his comments regarding the creditors supplying soft-shell crabs to the hatchery could not be obtained.
