The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is taking steps to establish an Independent Complaint Committee dedicated to women cricketers, a board official confirmed on Monday. The proposal was formally brought up during an 11-member working committee meeting at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on October 28. While the initiative has been agreed upon in principle, it still requires formal approval at an upcoming full board meeting before implementation. According to “Yes, the matter (formation of an Independent Complaint Committee) was raised during the last working committee meeting, and we agreed that we need to form it,”, The board director, who is part of the 11-member worki. I mean, the proposal has been raised, but it hasn’t been approved (as it needs to be tabled at the board meeting),” he said.
A BCB director serving on the working committee explained that the initiative aims to create an entirely neutral body rather than assigning internal board personnel. Board leadership decided that involving external individuals would ensure that any grievances submitted by female players are subjected to transparent, unbiased, and free inquiries without internal interference.
Top board officials voiced concerns that if internal staff were placed on the panel, committee members associated with accused employees might potentially disrupt or influence investigations. Engaging independent figures from outside the BCB governance structure is intended to remove fear and hesitation for women cricketers coming forward with complaints.
The policy push comes after cricketer Jahanara Alam alleged sexual assault by a member of the team management, prompting the BCB to form an initial inquiry committee. To strengthen institutional safeguards, the BCB decided to align its frameworks with a 2009 High Court Division judgement. That initial Complaint Committee was chaired by BCB Director and Women’s Wing Committee Chairperson Rubaba Dowla, tasked with setting up an independent mechanism and conducting mandatory awareness training across Bangladesh cricket. However, to maintain absolute neutrality, the newly proposed panel will no longer be headed by current board directors. “We want to bring people from outside for the committee, as it will ensure that if a woman cricketer files a complaint against anyone, we have a free and fair investigation,” he said.
