Bangladesh women’s team captain accused of ragging and assaulting juniors

Remember that November night when, after winning the World Cup, Harmanpreet Kaur and her teammates handed the trophy to veterans like Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj. That is how seniors are honoured. Young players like Richa Ghosh and Jemimah Rodrigues are always full of praise for “Harmanpreet Didi” and “Smriti Didi.”

But the picture is starkly different in neighbouring Bangladesh cricket. Recent reports have brought shocking allegations to light. Bangladesh women’s team captain Nigar Sultana Joty has been accused of physically assaulting junior cricketers. Nigar, however, has denied the claims.

These allegations have been raised by her former teammate Jahanara Alam. In her explosive remarks, Jahanara claimed that Nigar regularly “abuses” junior players. Speaking to Bangladeshi daily Kaler Kantho, she said,

“Joty hits the juniors a lot. During this World Cup, juniors told me, ‘No, sister, we won’t do it anymore. Or we’ll get slapped again.’ Some even said they were beaten the previous day. During the Dubai tour, she slapped a junior in her room.”

Not only juniors Jahanara accused Nigar of disrespecting seniors as well.

“When she got power, she began misusing it. At first, she started calling seniors by name. She would call Salma Apu ‘Sallu’ and me ‘Hey Jahan.’ I wasn’t surprised because she has behaved like this since childhood. She often skips fitness tests.”

She continued,

“Juniors always carry her kit bags. I’ve heard Joty tell them countless times, ‘Why are you sitting? Go bring down my bag.’ The juniors have no choice. Another incident in Sylhet there are two dressing rooms, one reserved for juniors. I saw her go there and make juniors massage her head and oil her hair.”

Jahanara also expressed frustration over Bangladesh cricket’s management system. The 32-year-old played her last match for Bangladesh in 2023 and has 108 wickets to her name.

However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has dismissed all allegations. BCB stated,

“A former member of the Bangladesh women’s team has made numerous accusations. We strongly oppose and reject these claims. They are false, baseless, and fabricated. At a time when Bangladesh is trying to progress together, such allegations are shameful and damaging.”

Responding on Facebook, Nigar wrote,

“This team belongs to all of us. At a time when the team is doing its best, there are so many negative comments, personal grudges, anger, and offensive language! It amazes me that those who are saying these things once loved the team, nurtured it, took it to a certain level, saw both success and failure. Spreading rumours might create temporary buzz, but I hope it won’t be effective.”