Former Bangladesh captain Rumana Ahmed has publicly voiced her support for Jahanara Alam, who recently spoke out about alleged sexual harassment inside the national women’s cricket setup. Jahanara, currently in Australia, accused former selector and team manager Manjurul Islam of sexually harassing her during the 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup in South Africa.
A Complaint Ignored
Jahanara said she had earlier submitted a written complaint to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), but no action followed. After her allegations resurfaced, BCB Women’s Wing Chairman Abdur Razzak told Telecom Asia that a full-fledged investigation would now be launched. The original report can be found on Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net).
BCB Expands Inquiry, Adds Top Legal Experts
On October 12, the BCB strengthened its investigation panel by adding two prominent legal professionals: Professor Dr. Naima Huq, former Chair of the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka and current Member of the Bangladesh Law Commission, and Barrister Muhammed Mustafizur Rahman Khan, a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court.
These additions build on the earlier announcement of a three-member committee headed by Justice Tariq ul Hakim, former Judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, along with Barrister Sarwat Siraj Shukla, Senior Advocate and President of the Bangladesh Women’s Sports Association, and Ms. Rubaba Dowla, Director of the BCB.
“Everyone Inside the Team Knew” — Rumana Speaks Out
Rumana described Jahanara’s courage as “not easy” and emphasized the seriousness of her claims. She said that when a woman steps forward with such allegations, it must be investigated, and that Jahanara’s emotional testimony reflects how difficult it is to speak publicly about such experiences. Rumana explained that this type of harassment rarely happens openly but admitted that many players felt uneasy about certain behaviors for years.
Uncomfortable Interactions Normalized
Rumana recalled Manjurul Islam frequently engaging with players in ways that felt overly close and intrusive. She said he often spoke to girls face-to-face, holding their arms or shoulders, and leaning in to talk near their ears. She described these interactions as not only inappropriate in appearance but inappropriate in nature.
She added that junior players would privately confide in senior players about similar discomfort, telling them things like “Apu, he comes too close when he talks to me,” or “It makes me uncomfortable when he speaks like that.”
Avoidance in the Line-Up
According to Rumana, players would even try to avoid standing near him during team line-ups. She said it was difficult to physically distance oneself from a team official, but described his behavior as consistently uncomfortable. She also recalled that he had a habit of placing his hand on someone’s shoulder or coming from behind and holding both shoulders while speaking.
“This Could Have Been Prevented”
Rumana believes the current crisis might have been avoided if the BCB had taken Jahanara’s initial complaint seriously and investigated it promptly. She said that if the board had acted earlier, the situation would not have escalated to this point.
