The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formed a three-member committee to investigate sexual harassment allegations raised by former national women’s team captain Jahanara Alam.
However, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said the panel is not adequate to ensure a credible probe.
In a statement on Sunday, TIB said the committee must include at least two independent experts experienced in investigating sexual harassment to ensure neutrality, effectiveness and public confidence in the process.
“We view the formation of the committee positively. However, to ensure professionalism, impartiality and effectiveness, at least two independent specialists skilled in handling sensitive sexual harassment investigations must be included,” said TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman.
He said that previous allegations of sexual abuse in women’s cricket were never properly addressed.
“Instead, the accused were shielded from accountability. It is not unreasonable to question whether this reflects institutionalised patriarchal dominance in sports and a deliberate suppression of women’s participation,” he said.
TIB said the complaint is not an isolated case, noting that multiple women cricketers have shared similar experiences. It added that the lack of an institutional framework within BCB to prevent sexual harassment has deepened the crisis.
The statement said women cricketers have delivered consistent success for the country despite limited support, making the failure to ensure their safety highly condemnable.
TIB urged BCB to immediately establish an independent, gender-sensitive complaints and redress committee.
It also called for a safeguarding policy in line with International Cricket Council standards, including trained officials, and demanded transparency, accountability and neutrality in all future investigations.
Expressing concern over governance issues in the cricket board, TIB said BCB’s credibility has already been damaged by allegations of match-fixing, financial irregularities and administrative weakness.
It also noted that recommendations it made in 2016 to ensure good governance in cricket are yet to be implemented.
