Overview:
Jahanara, currently away from the national women’s set-up, revealed that she was proposed during the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup.
Bangladesh pacer Jahanara Alam has come forward with serious allegations against former selector Manjurul Islam, accusing him of sexual harassment. Jahanara, currently away from the national women’s set-up, revealed that she was proposed during the 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup. She further asserted that Manjurul obstructed her career following her refusal to comply.
“I experienced this kind of indecent approach multiple times, not just once. When you are part of a team setup, there are many things you simply cannot speak about, even if you want to. When your livelihood depends on the game and only a few people know your struggles, it becomes very difficult to raise your voice or protest,” Jahanara said on Riasat Azim’s YouTube channel.
“In 2021, Towhid Bhai reached out to me through Babu Bhai, who was the coordinator. I’ve spoken about this several times. I kept trying to remain quiet and concentrate on cricket. But once I avoided the proposal politely, Manju Bhai immediately began to humiliate and mistreat me from the very next day,” Jahanara explained in the video.
“Towhid Bhai never contacted me directly. After a year and a half, I submitted an ‘Observation Letter’ to the CEO, explaining everything without making it a complaint. Babu Bhai once told me to ‘take care of Towhid Sir,’ and I answered, ‘He’s the in-charge, what would I need to take care of?’ I purposely acted unaware of the proposal. I’m sharing this so other girls can also avoid such situations. It was after this that Manju Bhai started behaving badly with me.”
Jahanara claimed that Manjurul frequently stood too close to players in the team.
“During our pre-camp, while I was bowling, he walked over and put his hand on my shoulder. He often pulled girls closer to him, held them against his chest, and spoke right near their ears. We would try to keep our distance from him — even after matches, during handshakes, we would reach out from far away so he couldn’t pull us in.”
“On one occasion, he came very close, held my hand, placed his arm on my shoulder, leaned in towards my ear, and asked, ‘He asked me about my periods. He already knew this information because physios monitor our cycles for health reasons under ICC guidelines. I had no idea why a manager or selector needed to know that. When I said, ‘Five days,’ he replied, ‘Five days? It should have ended yesterday. When it finishes, let me know I have to take care of my side too.’ I simply looked at him and said, ‘Sorry, Bhaiya, I didn’t understand.”
Cricbuzz has reported that Manjurul rejected the allegations.
“What else can I say except that these claims are baseless. Speak to other cricketers and judge for yourself whether I was good or bad,” Manjurul said.
“It’s sad that she is accusing someone. She should bring proof rather than level baseless charges,” he stated.