Dhaka, June 17 -- The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a criminal case against cricketer Shakib Al Hasan and 14 others on charges of allegedly manipulating the stock market to embezzle billions.

The case was filed on Tuesday by ACC Assistant Director Sajjad Hossain, said the anti-graft agency's Director General for Prevention Akhtar Hossain.

This is the first time the national graft watchdog has taken legal action against Shakib, who previously served as a brand ambassador for the commission.

The charges relate to what the ACC describes as a coordinated scheme involving fraudulent trading practices and insider collusion to artificially inflate share prices and deceive general investors.

The accused allegedly violated provisi...