The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formed an independent complaints committee to deal with sexual harassment complaints and ensure a safe environment for female cricketers. The move follows an earlier report that the panel was yet to be approved because all its members had not been finalised. On November 3, BCB complaint committee secretary Chandra Banerjee confirmed that the committee had started work with four members. A former cricketer will be added as the fifth member in due course. The committee has been formed in line with a 2009 High Court directive.
Barrister Rashna Imam will head the five-member committee. She was a member of the convening committee led by Tamim Iqbal, who headed the women’s wing before the last BCB election. Barrister Nazia Kabir, Barrister Anita Gazi Rahman and Zarin Mahmud Hossain have also been named as members. A former cricketer will take the remaining place. BCB personnel have not been included, a move understood to protect investigations from internal influence and possible conflicts of interest. The panel has already begun its work with four members.
The BCB has also introduced a safeguarding policy that explains unacceptable actions and how players can report concerns. Chandra said, “The safeguarding policies are made in line with the international regulations and also with our domestic laws. Now the safeguarding policy has defined a range of actions which is not acceptable, and if any mishap happens how a player can approach us and how we maintain confidentiality and fairness in the process. The policy is all about our process,” she said. The policy explains how players can approach the committee and how confidentiality and fairness will be maintained.
The board has taken steps to make the complaint process easier for women cricketers to find and understand. Chandra said, “First of all, BCB has zero tolerance towards any kind of abuse, sexual harassment or whatever. To implement this, we have specified nicely within the policy where to reach out. This is step one. The second thing is that this has already been circulated in the women’s wing. Thirdly, if you visit our website, a pop-up banner suddenly appears on the website.” She said the banner gives visitors direct access to where they need to file a complaint. The BCB is also working on ways to publicise the policy.
Another focus is to remove fear among players who may hesitate before making a complaint. Chandra said, “I want to remove the fear among them, that’s one. Secondly, I want to assure them that, for example, if someone complains to me now as a cricket player, you might have some hesitation in your mind, like, will this get a lot of publicity or will people know about it?” She explained that legal wording may not always be clear to someone without a legal or commercial background. The policy needs to be explained, including what it covers and how players are protected. She said it is their right to have a safe, sound and respectable environment.
The BCB will also hold a workshop to create a direct line between the committee and the cricketers, allowing players to reach out at any time and speak up if needed. The board had initiated an educational class for women cricketers in Cox’s Bazar, where currently hundred women cricketers are staying to take part in domestic tournaments. With the committee working with four members, the safeguarding policy circulated in the women’s wing and complaint access available through the website, the BCB is putting its process into action. The former cricketer will join as the fifth member in due course for players.
(Inputs sourced from Cricbuzz)
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