Bangladesh Cricketer Jahanara Alam Accuses Former Selector Manjurul Islam of Sexual Harassment
Bangladesh cricketer Jahanara Alam has publicly accused former selector Manjurul Islam of sexual harassment. She alleges that during the 2022 Women's ODI World Cup, she received inappropriate proposals from the national team management. Currently on a mental health break, Jahanara claims Manjurul's advances hindered her career after she rejected him.
Jahanara's Account of the Harassment
Jahanara shared her experience on Riasat Azim's YouTube channel:
“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. When it comes to your bread and butter, when you are known by a few people, you cannot say or protest many things even if you want to.”
Response from Bangladesh Cricket Board
Jahanara sought assistance from senior officials at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), but felt her complaints were not taken seriously. She mentioned that Nadel Chowdhury, head of the women's committee, and BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury failed to properly address her concerns.
Additional Incident Involving Team Officials
She also described an incident from 2021 involving Towhid Bhai, who contacted her through coordinator Sarfaraz Babu:
“In 2021, Towhid Bhai approached me through Babu Bhai (Coordinator Sarfaraz Babu). I've said this many times before. I don't know why they misbehaved with me. I tried hard to stay quiet and focus on cricket.”
Jahanara's revelations highlight significant issues within the cricket management affecting her professional and personal life.
Author's summary: Jahanara Alam has courageously exposed repeated sexual harassment by cricket officials, revealing a lack of support from the Bangladesh Cricket Board, which impacted her career and well-being.