Cricketer Ishma Tanjim Attempts Suicide After Being Dropped From Camp

In a deeply distressing development for the domestic sporting fraternity, Bangladesh national women’s team cricketer Ishma Tanjim has reportedly attempted to take her own life. The 29-year-old all-rounder was driven to the extreme step by severe distress and anger after being excluded from the national emerging squad training camp. Tanjim claimed she was fully fit to play, alleging that management used a minor, historic injury as a false pretext to drop her from the team. She also spoke out about facing systemic toxicity and unfavourable conditions within the national setup for an extended period.

The Bangladesh Women’s Emerging Cricket Team had initiated an intensive conditioning camp at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (BKSP) in Savar, ahead of an upcoming bilateral tour of South Africa. Whilst Tanjim was initially included in the preliminary 27-member squad during the first phase of selection, she failed to make the cut when selectors trimmed the roster down to a final 21-player list for the second phase. This sudden exclusion triggered a severe psychological trauma, culminating in her suicide attempt, which the player herself later confirmed to reporters.

The incident occurred on Friday, 3 July, and Tanjim remained unconscious until Sunday, when she finally opened her eyes at a local medical facility. Following a gradual improvement in her vital signs, she was discharged and allowed to return home. Speaking to the press about her ordeal, Tanjim expressed her profound frustration with the selectors’ rationale. She explained that management cited fitness issues due to an old ankle injury, but she maintained she was entirely ready for the rigorous demands of the camp.

Reflecting on her career choices from her residence, the visibly shaken all-rounder emphasised that financial gain was never her motivation, as she played purely out of a deep-seated love for cricket. Her inability to cope with the sudden rejection stemmed entirely from this intense emotional investment. She also voiced her heartbreak over minor grievances, noting that the board had not even provided her with a official photograph from her international debut match, a memento she had long wished to keep.

Despite the gravity of a national athlete attempting suicide, the upper echelons of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appear completely unaware of the crisis. When approached for comment, multiple high-ranking board officials expressed surprise and admitted they had received no official correspondence or briefings regarding the matter. However, internal BCB sources maintained that the decision to omit Tanjim from the final BKSP camp was made purely on technical grounds, based on fitness reports submitted by the medical and training staff, denying any personal bias or unfair treatment.

Tanjim is an experienced campaigner within the domestic circuit, having represented the senior Bangladesh national women’s team in three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and four Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Her public allegations and subsequent self-harm attempt have raised urgent concerns regarding the mental health support systems available to professional cricketers in Bangladesh, as well as the transparent communication of selection criteria.