Sexual harassment in sports must end

We are deeply concerned by the recent allegations of sexual harassment made by former Bangladesh women's cricket team skipper Jahanara Alam against some senior members of the then team management. Allegations include inappropriate touching and remarks. Members of the sports community have rightly called for an independent inquiry and decisive action against the alleged culprits if found guilty. Meanwhile, the adviser of the youth and sports ministry has stated that the government will treat these allegations seriously and ensure "exemplary punishment" of those proven guilty, should the victim choose to pursue legal action.

It is commendable that both the sports community and the government are showing their concern about the issue, but it must be acknowledged that these reactions come after Jahanara's widely publicised interview on a YouTube channel. Male chauvinism in sports is hardly a secret in the country, where discrimination against women athletes, despite their stellar performances, has often been blatant. Recent media reports have highlighted stark disparities in pay between male and female athletes. Female athletes, moreover, often face intense misogyny from certain segments of society, as seen in the horrific cyberbullying incidents and attacks on players during matches.

Fear of repercussions, such as being dropped from the national team, and hostile behaviour from management, are key reasons why players feel hesitant to lodge complaints, which only emboldens the perpetrators. A former general secretary of the Women's Sports Association has emphasised that increasing the presence of women in coaching and management roles could help prevent such harassment. She has also suggested that female players should be accompanied only by women managers and officials during travel.

Read more

Violence against girls is sabotaging our future

Beyond hiring and training more women for senior posts, all sports federations must take immediate steps to ensure the safety of female athletes. In addition to establishing proper official complaint mechanisms—as mandated by the High Court's directives about forming complaints committees across workplaces and educational institutions—sports bodies must issue strict guidelines to members of the management and other staff regarding the code of conduct towards women athletes, with severe penalties for violations. Gender-sensitivity training should also be prioritised across all organisations.

Despite the barriers they face, women athletes—particularly in cricket and football—have demonstrated that, given the chance, they can excel and bring accolades to the country. It is about time we as a nation recognised their worth by eliminating all discriminatory practices within the sports federations and ensuring that players feel safe and supported at all times.