Babar Ali, first Bangladeshi to summit Ama Dablam

Bangladeshi mountaineer Md Babar Ali summited Ama Dablam, a mountain in the eastern Himalayan range of Nepal, becoming the first person from Bangladesh to reach its peak with Bangladesh's flag on Tuesday.

The passionate climber, who is also a doctor by profession, reached the top of the 6,812-metre (22,349 ft) mountain at 9.03am on 25 October, said Vertical Dreamers in a press release.

Ama Dablam is a mountain in the eastern Himalayan range of Province no-1, Nepal. Ama Dablam means "Mother's necklace" as the long ridges on each side, resemble the arms of a mother (Ama) protecting her child; and the hanging glacier is the Dablam – the traditional double-pendant with pictures of the gods, worn by Sherpa women.

For its soaring ridges and steep faces, Ama Dablam is sometimes referred to as the "Matterhorn of the Himalayas." The mountain is featured on the one rupee banknote of Nepal.

Several Bangladeshis have unsuccessfully tried to summit Ama Dablam.

Babar left the country for Nepal on 9 October for the campaign and the necessary permits and other preparations were done by 11 October. However, regular flights from Kathmandu to Lukla were cancelled at that time due to unfavourable weather.

With an undaunting spirit, Babar decided to continue his journey by road and embarked on his hike to base camp the next day. He reached Ama Dablam base camp on 19 October, driving a few miles and walking the rest.

He is one of the founders of the country's leading mountaineering club Vertical Dreamers, established in 2014, and is currently its executive committee organising secretary.

Vertical Dreamers provided full-fledged support for Babar's self-financed expedition.