The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has decided to form a committee to investigate the harassment allegations made by former national women’s team captain Jahanara Alam against several individuals associated with the women’s team setup.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the board said it had “noted with concern the allegations reported in the media made by a former member of the Bangladesh National Women’s Cricket Team regarding alleged misconduct by certain individuals associated with the team.”
“As the matter is of a sensitive nature, the BCB has decided to form a committee to investigate the allegations thoroughly. The committee will submit its findings and recommendations within 15 working days,” the statement added.
Jahanara, currently living in Australia, alleged during an interview on social media that she had received indecent proposals from members of the national team management during the 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup. She accused former national pace bowler Manjurul Islam, who also served as a manager and selector for the women’s team, of ending her international career after she rejected his advances.
She also named the late Towhid Mahmud and another board official, Sarfaraz Babu, alleging that they too had made indecent proposals. Jahanara said she had informed the women’s wing chairman, Nadel Chowdhury, and also sent a written complaint to BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury about the harassment.
Both Manjurul and Babu have denied the allegations when contacted by international media outlet Cricbuzz. “What can I say apart from terming it as baseless. You can ask other cricketers whether I was good or bad,” said Manjurul.
“It’s unfortunate she is dragging a dead man. I just want her to come up with proof instead of making baseless accusations,” Babu told Cricbuzz.
The BCB, in its release, reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful environment across all levels of the game. “The BCB is committed to ensuring a safe, respectful, and professional environment for all its players and personnel. The board takes such matters with utmost seriousness and will take appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation,” it said.
Earlier this week, Jahanara had also made allegations against the current women’s team captain and coaching staff in an interview with a local newspaper. The BCB had dismissed those claims as “baseless, fabricated and devoid of any truth” in a statement issued on Tuesday.
However, following the latest claims, the board has moved to officially investigate the allegations of abuse, marking the first formal probe into misconduct claims within the women’s national setup.
