The BCB has declared that it will establish a committee to look into claims made by fast bowler Jahanara Alam that she was sexually harassed by former selector Manjurul Islam during the 2022 ODI World Cup.

The committee has been given 15 working days by the board to provide its conclusions and suggestions.

Alam hasn't played international cricket since December of last year and is currently on a mental health leave. Additionally, the right-arm medium pacer has accused a board member of forwarding proposals to her on behalf of others.

Since making her debut in November 2011, Alam, a 32-year-old medium pacer, has made 135 appearances for Bangladesh. Alam has captured 108 wickets in her 14-year international career, including five wickets in T20Is. She currently resides in Australia.

Apart from accusing former Bangladesh selector Manjurul Islam of sexual harassment, Alam also accused Towhid Choudhary of passing on indecent proposals via a BCB employee named Sarfaraz Babu.

“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 was quoted as saying in The Riasat Azim YouTube channel on Thursday.

“In 2021, Touhid Bhai approached me through Babu Bhai (Coordinator Sarfraz Babu). I have said this in various places. Why they misbehaved with me, I do not know. I tried a lot to suppress this and play cricket well. But when I technically avoided it, Manju Bhai started misbehaving, humiliating, and insulting me since the next day. And I was not actually used to such humiliation.

Babu Bhai told me to ’look after Touhid Sir.’ So I said, ‘What is there for me to look after regarding him? He is just in charge. What is there for me to look after regarding him? He is the highest authority, or now he is in the post after the chairman. What is there for me to look after regarding him?’ I technically avoided it this way, pretending I didn’t understand the details of the proposal,” Alam added.

Alam further stated that Islam tried to propose to her and alleged that Islam had a habit of pushing players against his chest and grabbing their shoulders. She said that during the 2022 Cricket World Cup, Islam asked her inappropriate questions.

“He came to me and took my hand, again put his hand on my shoulder, brought his mouth near my head, and said, ‘How many days has your period been running today?’ He is directly asking this because he already has the information. Because normally, based on ICC guidelines, the doctor who gives us classes, the physiotherapist, or the doctor collects period dates from every team… And his second question was when I said, ‘Bhaiya, five days.’ He said, ‘Five days? Does anyone stay like this? Yours should have ended a day earlier.’ So I looked at him directly, staring at his face, and I said, ‘Sorry, Bhaiya, I didn’t understand.’

He said, ‘Yours should have ended by now. Does anyone have a period for this long? And when your period is over, tell me, because I have to look after my side too, right?’ Then I looked at him, and after looking, he said, ‘What?’ ‘I am sorry, Bhaiya, I didn’t understand.’ So he said, ‘Five days, it should have ended. You have to look after my side too. If you have a period for this long… You have to look after my side too.’ So, I said, ‘Bhaiya, sorry, I didn’t understand your point.’ He said, ‘There is nothing much to understand. When your period is over, tell me. You have to look after my side too; you have to understand this,” she said.

Meanwhile, Manjurul Islam has categorically denied Jahanara Alam’s allegations.

“What can I say apart from terming it as baseless? You can ask other cricketers whether I was good or bad,” Islam told Cricbuzz.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has formed a committee to investigate the allegations.

“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has noted with concern the allegations reported in the media made by a former member of the Bangladesh national women’s cricket team regarding alleged misconduct by certain individuals associated with the team,” the board said in a statement on Thursday. “As the matter is of a sensitive nature, the BCB has decided to form a committee to investigate the allegations thoroughly. The committee will submit its findings and recommendations within 15 working days,” the BCB board statement said.