Bangladesh celebrated a remarkable achievement in mountaineering as Dr. Babar Ali made history by becoming the first Bangladeshi climber to reach the summit of an 8,000-meter peak without supplemental oxygen. The accomplishment took place at Mount Manaslu, the world’s eighth-highest peak standing at 8,163 meters in the Himalayas.
Dr. Babar Ali, an experienced mountaineer, has now conquered four 8,000-meter peaks, including Everest, Lhotse, and Annapurna I. Joining him in this feat was fellow Bangladeshi climber Tanvir Ahmed, who successfully summited an 8,000-meter peak for the first time.
The successful expedition, organized under the banner “Manaslu Ascent: Vertical Duo,” was confirmed by Forhan Zaman, the expedition manager and president of Vertical Dreamers mountaineering club. Zaman expressed his pride as both climbers raised the Bangladeshi flag on the summit of Mount Manaslu on the same day.
Tanvir Ahmed, the mountaineering secretary of the club and an assistant manager at VF Asia Bangladesh, hails from Kishoreganj and had previously climbed Ama Dablam in 2022.
The climbers commenced their journey from Bangladesh on September 5, trekking for five days to reach the base camp. After acclimatization rotations to camps 1-3, they made their final push. On September 24, both reached camp 4 at 7,400 meters, and in the early hours of September 26, guided by Bire Tamang and Phurba Angdi Sherpa, they successfully reached the summit of Manaslu.
Although summit photos may be delayed due to poor network coverage, the climbers are focused on descending safely from the peak. Dr. Babar Ali, the general secretary of Vertical Dreamers and a graduate of Chattogram Medical College, is widely recognized as one of the leading mountaineers in the country.
Forhan Zaman highlighted the climbers’ determination to pursue further challenges, with Dr. Babar aiming to conquer all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks. Tanvir Ahmed is also eager to take on more peaks, emphasizing that with ample sponsorship, they can continue to raise the Bangladeshi flag higher in the world of mountaineering.
The successful expedition received support from various Bangladeshi sponsors, including Samuda, Visual Knitwears, Gigabyte Bangladesh, Chandrabindu Prokashon, Sinovest, Sierra-Romeo, Adiba Footwear, 4S Advance Technologies, Genovers, Source Associates, Ilet Bankers, Kazi Agro, and Friesva.