The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has established a five-member independent committee to address and investigate allegations of sexual harassment, aiming to guarantee a safe and equitable environment for female cricketers. Supreme Court advocate Barrister Rashna Imam has been appointed to lead the newly formed panel.
Barrister Imam brings prior sports administration experience to the role, having served as a member of the convenor committee led by Tamim Iqbal prior to the most recent BCB elections, during which she also headed the board’s women’s wing. She is additionally known as the wife of Bobby Hajjaj, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education.
The independent panel comprises prominent legal and civil society experts, including Barrister Nazia Kabir, Barrister Anita Gazi Rahman, and Zareen Mahmud Hossain. A former female cricketer will also join the committee, with her nomination expected to be finalised shortly.
Crucially, the BCB has excluded all current board officials and internal staff from the committee structure. This complete separation ensures that investigations remain entirely free from internal interference, institutional bias, or potential conflicts of interest, offering players a confidential and uncompromised platform to register grievances.
Welcoming the initiative, Rafiqul Islam, head of the BCB women’s wing, stated to the press that establishing an impartial mechanism had been a long-standing demand among female athletes. He emphasised that any cricketer, whether from the national team or age-group squads, can now approach the committee without apprehension.
Allegations of sexual harassment within domestic women’s cricket are not unprecedented in Bangladesh. Previously, former national team captain Jahanara Alam brought serious allegations of harassment and misconduct against a member of the team management, which prompted the BCB to institute a formal inquiry. The creation of a permanent, fully independent committee marks a significant institutional shift toward safeguarding player welfare across all levels of the domestic game.
