Former Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam claimed the 2024 election in Magura-1, where cricketer Shakib Al Hasan became MP, was entirely staged. He said Shakib knew beforehand he would win, as there was no real competition. Alam criticized the Awami League as a corrupt and violent party and questioned how someone like Shakib could join such an entity. He also held Shakib accountable for not speaking out after protest-related killings occurred in his constituency.