BCB launches probe into Jahanara Alam’s sexual harassment claims
Weighty accusations from one of Bangladesh’s leading names have rocked the cricket fraternity. Ex-national women’s team skipper Jahanara Alam has accused retired as well as incumbent Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials of sexual harassment, prompting the latter to suggest that it would investigate her allegations.
Speaking on a YouTube channel recently, the 32-year-old fast bowler claimed that numerous officials, including the then selector and team manager Manjurul Islam, had indulged in misconduct during the 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup in South Africa. “He hugged or pressed many female players in his chest under the plea of patronising them,” Jahanara said. However, she added that Manjurul “never did anything wrong with me” during her time playing for Bangladesh.
Manjurul, who is now in China, vehemently denied the allegations and said they were “baseless” before telling any observers who doubted him to “ask the other girls in the team.” The former left-arm seamer, who played 12 Tests and 34 ODIs for Bangladesh between 1999 and 2004, has subsequently had several coaching and managerial assignments within the country’s cricket setup.
Jahanara, among the most experienced Bangladesh cricketers with 48 ODI wickets, 60 T20I wickets, and 135 white-ball appearances, claimed she had also written to the board earlier but received no proper feedback. The athlete’s decision to go public was an unusual and audacious step in Bangladesh’s sports fraternity, where claims of this nature are rarely levelled at officials.
In reply, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has set up a committee, and it is fully committed to investigating. The Bangladesh Cricket Board issued a statement late Thursday, saying it expected to receive the results within 15 working days. The board repeated its commitment to creating a “safe, respectful and professional environment” for all players.
“We have to look into this because it is a serious allegation,” BCB vice-president Shakhawat Hossain said in an admission of the severity of the allegations.
It’s a story in progress, very much tied to this pivotal issue for women’s cricket in Bangladesh. As the investigation progresses, many people will be waiting to see what happens – players, administrators, and fans – wanting positive outcomes that bolster accountability, transparency, and trust at cricket’s already tired-looking institution in the nation.