Sports Desk:

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has imposed a lifetime ban on former selector and team manager Manjurul Islam following allegations of sexual harassment brought by former national women’s team captain Jahanara Alam. The board decided that he will no longer be involved in any cricket-related activities in the country.

The decision was taken at a virtual meeting of the BCB Board of Directors on Sunday.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, media committee chairman Amjad Hossain said the board had resolved to ban Manjurul Islam from all cricket activities, barring him from holding any responsibilities in the future.

Earlier, Jahanara Alam had accused Manjurul of sexual harassment in a media interview and later submitted a written complaint detailing four specific allegations. In response, the BCB formed a five-member independent investigation committee to examine the claims.

The committee submitted its report to BCB President Aminul Islam Bulbul on February 2. While it found insufficient evidence to substantiate two of the allegations, it identified prima facie evidence of “indecent behaviour” in the remaining two cases.

In a press release issued on February 4, the BCB stated that parts of Manjurul Islam’s conduct were inconsistent with professional standards and fell within the definition of misconduct and harassment under the Supreme Court’s guidelines.

Based on the committee’s recommendations, the board decided at Sunday’s virtual meeting to permanently bar him from any involvement in Bangladesh cricket.

Manjurul, who currently works with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), has not held any official role with the BCB since June 30 last year.