Drag Duels 2025: Inside the nation’s first legal drag race
The scene was set up like something straight out of a Fast & Furious flick—minus the stunts and with actual timing equipment in place
Drag racing isn't something you hear about often in Bangladesh. Sure, there've always been late-night pulls on Airport Road or clips floating around Facebook, but nothing legal or structured enough to be called a proper motorsport event. That is—until now. On August 2, something completely new happened at Purbachal's 300-feet road. A group of enthusiasts, brands, and partners came together to host what is now officially the first-ever legal, timed, and police-approved drag racing event in the country—Drag Duels 2025.
The event was made possible thanks to a collaboration between Mercedes-Benz Bangladesh, Thrusty Garage, Cars & Conversation, and Ranks Petroleum. The scene was set up like something straight out of a Fast & Furious flick—minus the stunts and with actual timing equipment in place. Given how tough it is to get anything organized in Dhaka, especially something involving performance cars and noise, it honestly ran smoother than expected.
Now, August heat in Purbachal? Brutal. A bit of rain tried to crash the party too. But the cars? They showed up ready. From the get-go, the mood was electric. Rezwanul Ahmed Sakib from Thrusty Garage kept things energetic with live commentary, while Mustavi Irtiza Bashar from Cars & Conversation jumped in the passenger seats to record POV runs. The whole event had this mix of chaos and coordination—exactly what you'd want from a drag strip first.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The MT class was a definite crowd-pleaser. Manual transmission cars still hold a special place for a lot of petrolheads, and this lineup didn't disappoint. The highlight? A red Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI that went full send, clocking a 0–100 km/h in just 4.14 seconds and finishing the 1/8th mile in 7.92 seconds. It looked, sounded, and felt like the kind of car you'd never find parked quietly. Other cars like the Civic Type R FL5, Toyota GR Yaris, and another black Evo VI kept things tight, with both the Type R and the Evo tying at 5.87 seconds in the 0–100 dash. Dhaka's cleanest Evo VIII and a stealthy GR Yaris also impressed with solid 30–130 times.
The overall class had the real heavy hitters. A white Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-Hybrid shocked everyone by taking the quickest 0–100 time of the day—3.88 seconds. That's properly quick, especially against cars like the GT-R R35 duo and a 991 Targa. Then came the roll runs. The red R35 turned into a missile, hitting 30–130 km/h in just 4.48 seconds. That was followed by an RS7 and a MKV Supra, both not far off.
A surprise star was the new AMG C63. It clocked 7.23 seconds in the 1/8th mile, which is impressive for a four-cylinder engine. Yes, four-cylinder. F1 tech or not, that's fast. SUVs weren't just chilling either. A GLS63 AMG clocked 0–100 in 4.28 seconds and tied the G63 Brabus at 5.32 for the 30–130. That's wild for something that big.
Then came the EVs, which—let's be honest—most people showed up to either cheer or boo. The MG Cyberster didn't waste time, recording 3.52 seconds from 0–100 and a 4.55 roll. Mercedes' EQE53 and BYD's Seal 3.8 weren't far behind, with the Seal even managing a solid 4.07 second sprint and 4.5 on the roll.
But the absolute mic drop? A red Evo X with an SST transmission, driven by none other than Imran-Zaman Khan, Divisional Director of Mercedes-Benz Bangladesh. The irony? He's one of the loudest voices in the country pushing for electric mobility. But here he was, hammering down the strip in a petrol-powered legend. His Evo came within 0.10 seconds of the Cyberster in the 1/8th mile—and beat it by 0.05 seconds in the 30–130. That wasn't just a win. That was drama. That was fire.
At the end of the day, Drag Duels 2025 felt like more than just a race day. It was a proper gathering of the community—organized, competitive, loud, and passionate. There was no illegal racing, no Facebook livestreams, just clean runs, clear times, and clapping crowds.
All in all, it was a solid day out. Great mix of old and new, petrol and electric, fast and faster. And above all, it proved something we've always known deep down—Bangladesh was ready for motorsport. It just needed someone to make the first move.
