Live and let live

Humans are social creatures. Perhaps Bangladeshis are more so. We pride ourselves on being one of the most hospitable nations on Earth. It is very common to hear our elders long for a better time, when everyone knew each other, which brought the community closer. While that’s all well and good, there are some drawbacks to being so social and so involved in other people’s lives. Even as families nuclearise themselves, the culture of immersion in others’ lives remains. The word “privacy” is a mockery for people in some demographics, especially students after their exam results come out. The world being the global village it is today, people have more and more knowledge about how other cultures deal with certain things. Perhaps that creates a version of “grass is greener on the other side” in some minds. But the reality is, each culture is different and unique, and that is not likely to change. However, if you are sick and tired of being asked about every trivial detail of your life by some distant relative, spare a thought for Shakib Al Hasan.Nobody said it was easyShakib Al Hasan is probably the biggest celebrity in Bangladesh at the moment. And with fame, comes scrutiny. No one ever said being a celebrity or sports star was easy, but one can’t help but feel that Shakib Al Hasan faces more scrutiny and questioning for his actions than any human being ever should. The incident I am trying to bring into focus is the superstar’s request of a hiatus from Test cricket for the next six months. Shakib has gone on record and said that the cause of this request is fatigue. Even then, some media outlets and people on social media aren’t ready to believe him. Some believe it is Shakib’s way of sending the Bangladesh Cricket Board a message on how unhappy he is with how things in administration and selection are being run. There is no way of proving or disproving this claim, so I am not going to go into that. The point is, whatever the reason, Shakib Al Hasan has requested a break and his governing body has granted it to him. There is nothing more to it. One would assume that not many people would love being questioned repeatedly about their approved leave from the workplace.

What people really need to realise is that cricket is just a game and Shakib is a human being, just like the rest of us

Even then, Shakib was gracious enough to answer all the questions the media asked him, some of which were regarding him playing in the foreign T20 leagues. On top of that, Shakib explained himself to his fans through a wall post on his Facebook page. To be really blunt, he wasn’t required to do any of those things, because at the end of the day, he is not an employee of the entire nation, even though he represents it -- he is a cricket player who works for the BCB.Just like the rest of usNow, it is quite clear to everyone that Shakib Al Hasan is a role model for many young people across the world, and he should be held accountable for actions that are wrong or unacceptable. And he has been punished for things like that in the past. However, Shakib cannot be expected to explain every single one of his actions just because he is a celebrity. A short visit to his Facebook profile will reveal thousands of comments peppering the world’s best all-rounder with advice on how to live his life, how his wife should dress, and how his actions somehow insult or offend someone. It doesn’t really need to be spelled out that this is wrong. Not only is it a breach of his personal privacy, it also portrays Bangladeshis in a negative light in the eyes of Shakib’s foreign fans. What people really need to realise is that cricket is just a game and Shakib is a human being, just like the rest of us. He has likes, dislikes, and wishes just like the rest of us. He goes about his day just like we do, and sometimes even makes a few mistakes. But is it really fair to make him explain his every action? Is it not better to just live and let live?Nibir Mostafa Khan is a Content Writer at BeLocal Today in Australia.