Jahanara Alam, a distinguished former captain of the Bangladesh women’s cricket team, has come forward with serious allegations of harassment by members of the national team’s management. These incidents reportedly occurred around the 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup. Alam, who has since stepped away from the national team for mental health reasons and is living in Australia, claims that Manjurul Islam, a former national pacer and then women’s team selector and manager, made inappropriate advances.
According to Alam, she faced career repercussions after refusing Islam’s alleged advances. She also implicated the late Towhid Mahmud, who she claims attempted to approach her through BCB employee Sarfaraz Babu. Alam stated that Nadel Chowdhury, the former head of the women’s committee, was unable to curb the alleged harassment, and that Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury did not take action after being informed.
Speaking on a YouTube platform, Alam revealed that she had been subjected to these indecent proposals multiple times but was afraid to speak out earlier to protect her career. “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,” she explained. She hopes her testimony will safeguard future generations of female cricketers. “I will speak so that maybe 10 more girls will want to return safely, just as I survived and returned,” Alam stated.
The first alleged incident dates back to 2021, where Touhid Mahmud reportedly conveyed a proposal indirectly via Sarfaraz Babu. Alam claims her refusal and feigned ignorance led to Manjurul Islam exhibiting hostile behavior towards her. She later submitted an “Observation Letter” detailing these events to the BCB CEO.
During the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, Alam alleges another disturbing encounter with Manjurul Islam. She described unwanted physical contact, including him grabbing her shoulder and speaking closely near her ear, which caused fear. “He used to bend down near the ear and then talk… we used to be scared about this behind the scenes,” she said. She further detailed Islam’s alleged intrusive questions about her menstrual cycle, such as “How many days is your period running today?” and remarks like “When your period is over, tell me, because I have to look after my side too, right?” Alam maintained her stance of not understanding his comments.
Manjurul Islam has vehemently denied the accusations, labeling them as baseless. Sarfaraz Babu also refuted the claims, asking for proof. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and is contemplating a formal investigation.