'Came close to my chest, asked about my...': Bangladesh cricketer Jahanara Alam accuses former selector of sexual harassment; BCB launches inquiry

Bangladesh women's cricketer Jahanara Alam has leveled serious accusations of sexual harassment and abuse against former selector Manjurul Islam and other officials in a video. Jahanara revealed that she had previously reported these incidents to the board's CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury and former director Shafiul Islam Nadel.

Alam mentioned that during the 2022 World Cup, Manjurul Islam's conduct deteriorated significantly. Manju Bhai attempted to get uncomfortably close to female players and posed inappropriate questions. On one occasion, he inquired about my menstrual cycle and made a personal remark.

"I have faced such inappropriate things not once or twice, but many times. When you are associated with a team, you cannot speak openly because it is related to your livelihood. When you make a name in a field, you cannot protest every single thing even if you want to."

"Cricket is my family and I will speak up so that 10 more girls like me are safe. I want future girls to be able to play cricket in a safe environment," she added.

Jahanara is currently residing in Australia, taking a break from cricket for mental health reasons. She recounted an incident from 2021 when Tauhid Mahmud made an inappropriate proposal to her via Board Coordinator Sarfaraz Babu. "I don't understand why he acted that way towards me," she expressed.

"I tried very hard to suppress everything and focus only on cricket, but when I tried to reject his proposal, Manjurul Islam started misbehaving with me. From the very next day, he started humiliating me."

"Touhid Bhai never spoke to me directly, always through Babu Bhai. About a year and a half later, I gave a letter to the CEO of the Bangladesh Cricket Board. I called it an observation letter, not a complaint letter, in which I wrote all the incidents from A to Z," Jahanara said.

Jahanara further revealed that during the 2022 World Cup, Manjurul Bhai approached her with a second proposal. This prompted her to consider informing the board about the situation. "I spoke to Nadel Sir multiple times, but he only offered temporary fixes. For a day or two, Manjurul Bhai would behave appropriately, but then it would revert to the same troubling behavior," she explained.

She described an incident during the World Cup in New Zealand when Manjurul approached her during practice. "He often interacted with the girls by placing his hand on their shoulders, hugging them, and even rubbing their heads. Sometimes, he would get very close and whisper in their ears. We were all frightened by this and would jokingly say, 'Look, now he will come and hug us.'"

During one practice session, he placed his hand on her shoulder, held her hand, and leaned in close to her head, asking, "How many days has your period been going on?" He posed this question because he already had access to their complete cycle records from the doctors.

He then remarked, "Five days? How can someone last that long? Let me know when it's over; I also have to take care of my side." Jahanara responded, "Brother, I don't understand." To which he replied, "There's no need to understand, just let me know when it's over." She was taken aback by his words and found herself at a loss for words in that moment.

Former selector Manjurul Islam has called all allegations baseless. He said, "The allegations made against me are false. You can ask other players if I ever behaved inappropriately or not."

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has released a statement indicating that it is treating these allegations with utmost seriousness. An investigative committee has been established to examine the issue thoroughly. This committee is expected to present its findings within 15 working days. The BCB remains dedicated to fostering a safe and respectful atmosphere for all players.

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