Bangladesh Pacer Accuses Former Selector of Sexual Harassment
Bangladesh cricketer Jahanara Alam has publicly accused former national selector Manjurul Islam of sexual harassment and career sabotage. She alleges that he repeatedly made indecent proposals and harmed her career after she rejected them.
Details of the Allegations
Jahanara revealed in a YouTube interview that the harassment began before the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup. She also claimed that her complaints were ignored by senior officials, including BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury and women’s committee head Nadel Chowdhury.
“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.”
Inappropriate Conduct Described
Jahanara described disturbing behavior by Manjurul Islam, including inappropriate physical contact and invasive personal questions. Many women cricketers reportedly avoided him due to his conduct.
- During a pre-camp, while Jahanara was bowling, Manjurul placed his hand on her shoulder.
- He had a pattern of pulling female players close, pressing them against his chest, and whispering near their ears.
- Players tried to maintain distance, even stretching their hands out at post-match handshakes to avoid being pulled in.
“He tried to pull us close to his chest.”
Summary
Jahanara Alam’s account exposes serious allegations of sexual harassment within Bangladesh cricket and highlights the failure of authorities to act on her complaints.
Author's summary: Jahanara Alam accuses a former selector of harassment, revealing ignored complaints and manipulative behavior that impacted her cricket career.