Home
+
Published : 09 Nov 2025, 03:15 AM
The Bangladesh Cricket Board has formed a three-member committee to investigate allegations of sexual harassment and mental abuse made by Jahanara Alam, the country’s most successful women’s pace bowler, just two days after she spoke out.
The committee is headed by retired Supreme Court Appellate Division judge Tariq ul Hakim. Its members include Rubaba Dowla, the board’s sole female director, and senior lawyer of the Supreme Court Sarwat Siraj Shukla, who also serves as president of the Bangladesh Women Sports Federation.
Jahanara made the allegations in a YouTube interview with freelance sports journalist Riasad Azim.
She claimed that during the 2022 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, selector and manager Manjurul Islam made inappropriate proposals and subjected her to repeated mental harassment, sexual advances, and retaliatory behaviour when she refused.
Similar allegations were made against former women’s cricket in-charge Touhid Mahmud, once the personal assistant of former BCB president Nazmul Hassan.
She also lodged complaints against other team management and board officials, claiming that repeated reports to then women’s cricket chairman Shafiul Alam Chowdhury and board CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury were ignored or only temporarily addressed.
Following her initial complaints on Thursday, the BCB announced a decision to form a three-member committee, expected to submit its report within 15 working days.
The committee, however, was only officially named on Saturday night, after BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul returned from an ICC meeting.
Jahanara, 32, played 52 ODIs and 83 T20s for Bangladesh, captaining the national side and becoming the country’s most successful pace bowler. She now resides in Sydney, Australia, playing club cricket and pursuing coaching courses.
She alleged that many other cricketers endure similar harassment but remain silent due to fear, citing one first-division player who also suffered sexual abuse.
