'While I was bowling, he came up and placed his hand on my shoulder.'
'He had a habit of pulling girls close, pressing them to his chest, and talking near their ears.'
'We used to avoid him.'
In a startling revelation, Bangladesh pacer Jahanara Alam has accused former selector Manjurul Islam of sexual harassment during her time with the national team, claiming that senior board officials ignored her repeated pleas for help.
In a deeply personal account, Jahanara revealed that she received repeated indecent proposals from members of the Bangladesh women's team management during the 2022 Women's ODI World Cup.
Manjurul, a former Bangladesh pacer, has also been accused of sabotaging Jahanara's career after she rejected his advances.
'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,' Jahanara told Riasat Azim's YouTube channel on Thursday.
Jahanara, who is currently on a mental health break from the national team, said she had tried to seek help from senior officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, but her complaints were ignored.
She claimed that women's committee head Nadel Chowdhury and Bangladesh Cricket Board Chief Executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury were both aware of the situation yet failed to act.
'In 2021, Towhid Bhai approached me through Babu Bhai (Coordinator Sarfaraz Babu)... I tried hard to stay quiet and focus on cricket. But when I tactfully avoided the proposal, Manju Bhai began humiliating and insulting me from the very next day,' Jahanara said.
'After about a year-and-a-half, I submitted an 'Observation Letter' to the CEO, not a complaint, explaining everything. Babu Bhai had told me to 'look after Towhid Sir,' but I replied, 'He's the in-charge, what is there for me to look after?'... That's when Manju Bhai's bad behaviour started.'
She alleged the misconduct continued during the 2022 World Cup despite informing senior board officials.
Jahanara also accused Manjurul of making players uncomfortable with physical proximity.
'During our pre-camp, while I was bowling, he came up and placed his hand on my shoulder. He had a habit of pulling girls close, pressing them to his chest, and talking near their ears. We used to avoid him.'
In one incident, she said, he asked intrusive questions about her menstrual cycle.
'Once he came near me, held my hand, leaned close to my ear, and asked, "How many days has your period been?"... When I said, "Five days," he replied, "It should've ended yesterday. When it's over, tell me, I have to look after my side too".'
Manjurul denied the allegations, calling them 'baseless'.
'You can ask other cricketers whether I was good or bad,' he told Cricbuzz.
Sarfaraz Babu, another official named, also rejected the claims.
'It's unfortunate she is dragging a dead man. I just want her to come up with proof instead of making baseless accusations.'
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