FORMER national women鈥檚 cricket captain Jahanara Alam鈥檚 allegation against a senior official of the Bangladesh Cricket Board is not an exception but a confirmation of the pervasive nature of sexual harassment. Jahanara has alleged that a former selector and team manager sexually harassed her, asked her lewd questions and subjected her to mental abuse during her time with the national team. She has also claimed that she earlier filed a complaint with the board but found no redress. As her allegation went viral on social media, inciting national outrage, the sports and youth adviser has said that the government would treat it with the utmost seriousness and ensure justice. The Cricketers鈥� Welfare Association of Bangladesh has also demanded a credible investigation and assured that it would support the complainant. The cricket board, meanwhile, on November 7 issued a statement that it had formed an investigation committee, which would submit the report in two weeks. The fact that her earlier complaint has remained unaddressed is a structural failure, revealing how impunity and gendered violence continue to operate inside sports institutions. This is a crisis of institutional trust, an issue that cannot be 鈥榤anaged鈥� internally through a release or procedural assurances.
The environment for women athletes has always been disproportionately hostile, dismissive, precarious and unequal. Resources, infrastructure access, travel support, coaching, facilities, contract protections, sponsorship opportunities and secure career pathways are all minimised for women players compared with men. Women footballers have only one guaranteed source of income, which is the monthly salary provided by the Bangladesh Football Federation. After Bangladesh had won the SAFF Championship in 2022, the players were brought under the salary structure, that too after days of advocacy. There is a significant gender-based salary gap although they have often outperformed men鈥檚 teams in international tournaments. The women鈥檚 football team has been more successful than the men鈥檚 team in terms of win rate, winning 40 per cent of their matches compared with 27 per cent for the men in 15 years. Then, there is the constant threat of sexual harassment and other abuses. Girls in district and upazila training camps face heightened risks because of the absence of institutional protection protocols, which is a violation of High Court guidelines that mandate all public and private institutions to establish anti-sexual harassment cells.
For Bangladesh to claim progress in women鈥檚 participation in sports, it must ensure a credible investigation of the allegations of sexual harassment and make the report public. In doing so, the cricket board must follow the High Court guideline on the formation of the committee and investigation procedure. More important, the board must form an anti-sexual harassment cell to prevent such incidents and ensure a safe environment for all women.