Former Bangladesh women’s cricket captain Jahanara Alam has made startling accusations, revealing alleged indecent proposals from national team management during the 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup. Now residing in Australia for mental health reasons, the veteran fast bowler claims that former Bangladesh pacer Manjurul Islam, who held roles as women’s team selector and manager, attempted to leverage her position for personal gain. Alam stated that after she rejected his advances, Islam allegedly hindered her performance and professional development within the national setup.
Further allegations suggest that the late Towhid Mahmud also made advances through BCB employee Sarfaraz Babu. Jahanara Alam also indicated that the head of the women’s committee at the time, Nadel Chowdhury, was unable to intervene, and Bangladesh Cricket Board CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury reportedly took no action despite being informed.
Speaking on a YouTube channel, Alam shared that she experienced these incidents multiple times and remained silent due to fear of jeopardizing her career. She expressed her motivation for speaking out now is to prevent future players from enduring similar hardships. “Ultimately, cricket is my family, and I will definitely speak. I will speak so that maybe 10 more girls will want to return safely, just as I survived and returned,” she stated.
The first alleged incident occurred in 2021 when Touhid Mahmud supposedly conveyed a proposal indirectly. Alam claimed that when she refused and feigned misunderstanding, Manjurul Islam’s behavior changed, leading to alleged mistreatment. She reportedly submitted an “Observation Letter” to the BCB CEO documenting these events.
During the 2022 World Cup, Alam alleges a further proposal from Islam, describing unwanted physical contact and inappropriate comments regarding her menstrual cycle. “He came near my shoulder. And his habit is that he grabs any girl’s shoulder… He used to bend down near the ear and then talk… we used to be scared about this behind the scenes,” she recounted. When questioned about her menstrual period, she claims Islam made intrusive remarks and stated, “When your period is over, tell me, because I have to look after my side too, right?” Alam consistently responded by saying she did not understand his comments.
Manjurul Islam has denied the allegations, calling them baseless. Sarfaraz Babu also rejected the claims, urging Alam to provide proof. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has acknowledged the seriousness of the accusations and indicated a potential investigation.