Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam emphasized a policy of “zero tolerance” towards any individual, be it team management personnel or a director, if the accusations made by former women’s team captain Jahanara Alam are substantiated.
A board official revealed that certain officials had been placed on OSD (Officer on Special Duty) in response to Jahanara’s claims.
BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury stated, “The board has taken action concerning those who have been accused.”
Another woman cricketer recently leveled allegations against BCB director Nazmul Abedeen Fahim. With Jahanara’s complaint originating in 2021, concerns have been raised about whether the BCB CEO neglected to act upon her harassment grievances.
While some argue that if regular staff are put on OSD, directors or the CEO should also be considered for the same treatment to maintain an impartial investigation, BCB director Shahnian Tanim clarified that an investigation committee, not the board president or directors, is responsible for making decisions regarding both employees and directors.
Shahnian stated, “The decision-making authority lies with the investigation committee, which will assess everyone without exception, including directors. The board’s stance, as articulated by Bulbul, is zero tolerance for all, whether they are the president, a director, or an employee.”
There are demands for an independent committee to probe Jahanara’s allegations. BCB officials mentioned that if the committee uncovers additional issues during the harassment inquiry, it will offer recommendations to the board.
However, concerns about potential conflicts of interest have been raised because BCB director Rubaba Dowla is part of the three-member committee.
Bulbul explained, “As the sole female director, we chose her to gather information internally. We believed that since this pertains to matters from 2021–22, the issue had been resolved during that timeframe.”
As the investigation progresses, the committee faces the challenge of producing a comprehensive report while ensuring there is no interference from any faction within the BCB.