Shocking allegations of harassment have emerged from the Bangladesh women’s cricket team, with former captain Jahanara Alam speaking out about her experiences. Alam, who is currently living abroad for mental health reasons, claims she faced inappropriate advances from national team management, particularly during the 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup. She specifically accused Manjurul Islam, a former selector and manager for the women’s team, of attempting to exploit her position.
Alam alleges that her career progression and opportunities were negatively impacted after she rejected Islam’s alleged advances. The veteran pacer also revealed that the late Towhid Mahmud had made advances through BCB employee Sarfaraz Babu. Furthermore, she stated that the then-head of the women’s committee, Nadel Chowdhury, was unable to stop the alleged harassment, and that the Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, failed to act despite being made aware of the situation.
In a YouTube interview, Jahanara Alam detailed how she endured these incidents multiple times but felt compelled to remain silent for fear of ending her cricketing career. She decided to speak now to protect upcoming players. “I faced several times (indecent proposal) not once. Definitely, when we are involved with the team, we cannot speak out about many things, even if we want to,” she explained. She added, “When it comes to your bread and better, when you are known by a few people, you cannot say or protest many things even if you want to.”
Alam recounted the first alleged incident in 2021, involving an indirect proposal from Touhid Mahmud via Sarfaraz Babu. She stated that her refusal and feigned lack of understanding led to a shift in Manjurul Islam’s behavior, including alleged humiliation. Alam later submitted an “Observation Letter” to the BCB CEO documenting these experiences, though she did not classify it as a formal complaint.
The 2022 World Cup in New Zealand saw another alleged proposal from Manjurul Islam, according to Alam. She described uncomfortable physical proximity and invasive questions about her menstrual cycle. “He used to bend down near the ear and then talk… we used to be scared about this behind the scenes,” she said. Alam claims Islam asked intrusive questions like, “How many days is your period running today?” and commented, “Five days? Does anyone stay like this? Yours should have ended a day earlier… When your period is over, tell me, because I have to look after my side too, right?” Alam consistently deflected these comments.
Both Manjurul Islam and Sarfaraz Babu have denied the accusations. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has acknowledged the gravity of the allegations and is considering an investigation.