Former Bangladesh Captain Jahanara Alam Alleges Sexual Harassment During 2022 World Cup

Former Bangladesh women’s team captain Jahanara Alam has alleged that she faced sexual harassment and indecent proposals from members of the national team management during the 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup. In a recent interview with journalist Riasat Azim on YouTube, Jahanara accused then women’s selector and manager Manjurul Islam, as well as late official Towhid Mahmud, of inappropriate behavior. She also alleged that when she reported the incidents to senior Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials, including women’s committee head Nadel Chowdhury and CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, no action was taken. Jahanara, who has been on an indefinite break for mental health reasons and now lives in Australia, said she chose to speak out to help “create a safer environment” for future players. Manjurul Islam denied the allegations, calling them “baseless.” Other named officials, including BCB staff member Sarfaraz Babu, also rejected the claims. BCB vice-chairman Shakhawat Hossain said the board was aware of the allegations and would “sit and decide” on the next course of action, adding that an investigation could be launched if necessary.