Bangladesh women’s cricketer Jahanara Alam has taken to her verified Facebook account to publicly express her dissatisfaction with the punishment handed to former cricketer Manjurul Islam Manju, who was found guilty of sexual harassment following an independent investigation by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. While acknowledging the BCB’s efforts in forming the inquiry committee, she made clear that a ban from cricket falls far short of what she had hoped for and what she believes is deserved.
| No. | Demand | Addressed to |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Investigate and punish Manju’s wider network of accomplices | Aminul Haque |
| 02 | Ensure justice for all women athletes who have spoken out across sports | Aminul Haque |
| 03 | Introduce a strong safeguarding policy for women and children in sport | Tarique Rahman |
Jahanara describes a prolonged period of suffering between 2020 and 2024, during which she alleges that Manju and the late Touhid Mahmud, after she refused their advances, subjected her to severe mental torture, deliberate exclusion from opportunities and serious financial harm. She claims a wider group of associates continued this treatment even after Manju was moved from the women’s wing to the Bangladesh Tigers without explanation.
“Because I did not agree to their proposals, these two individuals along with their group of associates spent four years inflicting extreme mental torture, mental abuse, depriving me of all opportunities and causing me serious financial harm.”
She also revealed that as far back as July 2021, when the abuse had become unbearable after ten to eleven months, she submitted a handwritten observation note to the BCB chief executive. The response, she says, was to drop her from the very next tournament. It was the first time since 2008 that she had been left out of the Bangladesh team.
“I was punished for speaking up. From 2008 to 2021, I had played continuously for Bangladesh. That was the first time I was dropped. Why? Because I submitted an observation note. I was frightened and I stopped speaking. There are thousands of Jahanaras in society who stay silent.
Jahanara pointed to a case she describes as deeply troubling. An under-18 cricketer, she says, filed a sexual harassment complaint with the BCB some years ago. An investigation found a women’s wing official guilty. Yet that young player, according to Jahanara, has never returned to competitive cricket, never played a domestic match and has been unable to practise anywhere since lodging her complaint.
“Her greatest crime, apparently, was that she complained. That she did not reach a settlement and stay quiet. If that is our greatest offence — that we did not compromise, that we wanted a safe environment, that we wanted to develop our talent without fear — is that really what we are guilty of?
Jahanara reserved some of her sharpest criticism for former BCB vice chairman Abdur Razzak, who she says publicly dismissed her allegations as baseless before the investigation had even concluded, and then — even after Manju was found guilty — remarked that the punishment was too severe and that women cricketers play through compromises.
“You are a mother’s child. Your wife is a woman. You certainly have sisters. If your sister, your wife or your daughter were cricketers and the same thing happened to them, would you make such remarks? I find it very hard to accept that you represented Bangladesh, that you were once a cricketer yourself, and that you are a woman’s son.”
Jahanara’s first request to sports minister Aminul Haque is for a thorough investigation into the network of associates she alleges colluded with Manju and Touhid Mahmud, and for strict punishment to follow. “I want the harshest possible justice,” she wrote. “So that no other Jahanara has to suffer like I have.”
Her second request asks the minister to ensure that all women athletes across all sports who have come forward through the media receive proper investigations and justice. She warns that without accountability, none of them will ever be able to return to their respective disciplines.
Her third and final request is directed at Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, whom she credits with giving her the courage to come forward. She calls on him to introduce a strong, comprehensive safeguarding policy for women and children in Bangladeshi sport as a matter of urgency.
“If such a policy is in place, these men will not dare make inappropriate proposals. They will not even have the courage to look at women in the wrong way.”
Jahanara, who is currently on leave from the Bangladesh team for mental health reasons, stressed that she remains an active player and has not retired. She expressed gratitude to the World Cricketers Association for supporting her throughout the investigation process, including funding legal representation from Bangladeshi law firm Mahbub and Company.
