Two national record-holders, thrower Jannat Begum and sprinter Kabita Roy, are set to face sanctions, including possible bans from athletics and the removal of their medals, following year-long medical assessments that authorities said indicated biological characteristics inconsistent with the eligibility criteria for the female category.
A five-member medical board at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU), comprising doctors from the departments of surgery, urology, obstetrics and gynaecology, endocrinology and psychology, delivered its final reports on Jannat and Kabita yesterday after conducting various tests, including blood, testosterone, karyotype, cytogenetic, USG and X-ray examinations.
Such assessments are used in cases involving sex development characteristics, including Differences of Sex Development (DSD), which have been at the centre of previous eligibility disputes in athletics. The cases are believed to be the first of their kind in Bangladesh athletics, bringing a global debate over female-category eligibility rules into the country's sporting landscape.
According to the reports, Jannat and Kabita had testosterone levels of more than 19 nmol/L and 16 nmol/L respectively, exceeding the 2.5 nmol/L threshold set by World Athletics under Article 3.2 of its eligibility regulations for female-category eligibility and world-record recognition. The regulations state that athletes must have maintained their serum testosterone concentration below 2.5 nmol/L for at least 24 months and continue to maintain it below that level.
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The BMU formed the medical board in October last year after the Bangladesh Athletics Federation's Appeal Board recommended in August that the university conduct an assessment following a dispute between Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Army over the athletes’ eligibility for the female category.
Jannat improved her national record in shot put at the 49th National Athletics Championships in 2026 by clearing 14.25 metres, after setting her first national record in javelin throw at the 22nd Summer Athletics Championships in 2022.
A Bangladesh Athletics Federation official, requesting anonymity, said both athletes were present at Saturday’s meeting of the medical board. He added that they had been brought to BMU more than five times over the past year for different medical tests and had discussions with members of the medical board.
Jannat, representing Bangladesh Army, has won eight gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal in shot put and javelin throw between 2022 and 2026.
Kabita, representing Bangladesh Navy, was a gold-medal-winning member of the Navy's 4x100m relay teams at the 47th and 48th National Athletics Championships and the 17th Summer Athletics Championships in 2025. She was also a silver-medal-winning member of the Navy's 4x400m relay team at the 17th Summer Athletics Championships.
Before joining Bangladesh Navy, Kabita won bronze medals in the 100m and 200m sprints for Bangladesh Ansar & VDP at the 46th National Athletics Championships.
“I have just received the report today [Sunday] and I will place it before the executive meeting on Saturday to take the decisions and let you know the final decision about them,” Bangladesh Athletics Federation general secretary advocate Ali Imam Tapan told The Daily Star yesterday.
The case comes amid renewed global debate over eligibility rules in women's sport, with World Athletics introducing mandatory SRY gene testing for athletes seeking to compete in the female category from September 2025.
Tapan hinted that both Jannat and Kabita are likely to be banned from athletics, as athletes face suspension in similar cases across the world and their medals are subsequently removed.
“You know Jannat competed in the last National Athletics Championship with a condition that if the medical test goes against her, then the medals she won would be removed. So, her two gold medals from the last national championships have already been decided for removal.
“Now we will also discuss what happens to her and Kabita’s previous medals,” Tapan added.
