Sarwar Hussain Chowdhury takes podium at Sepang

Bangladeshi racer Dr Sarwar Hussain Chowdhury secured a podium finish at the Malaysia Festival of Speed (MFOS), finishing third in the Auto Gymkhana Male Double category at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

Representing Bangladesh after being selected by the Automobile Association of Bangladesh (AAB), Sarwar competed alongside a field featuring experienced international and regional competitors. Fellow Bangladeshi racers Kashfia Motaleb and Antar Bhuiyan were also selected as part of the country's contingent for the event.

For Sarwar, who has spent more than a decade competing in motorsport, the third-place finish represents one of the most significant results of his racing career so far. More importantly, it comes as he increasingly shifts his attention from domestic motorsport towards international competition.

"I was selected by the Automobile Association of Bangladesh, AAB, to represent Bangladesh at MFOS. Other team members included Kashfia Motaleb and Antar Bhuiyan," Sarwar told The Business Standard.

Auto Gymkhana is quite different from the Rallycross events through which Sarwar first became known locally. Instead of outright speed around a conventional circuit, drivers compete against the clock through a tight course that places considerably greater emphasis on precision, rapid changes of direction and car control.

And while the discipline may appear relatively simple from the outside, Sarwar says the level of competition he faced was anything but.

"There were Singapore, Sri Lanka and Malaysia's AAGC teams there, so no part of it was grassroots," he said. "All of them are international competitors and regional champs."

That makes the Sepang podium particularly significant for the Bangladeshi driver.

Sarwar's motorsport journey stretches back to 2013, when he first became involved in competitive driving. He would go on to become one of the familiar faces of Bangladesh's Rallycross scene, taking several podium finishes over successive editions of the championship.

His most recognisable competition cars included a heavily modified Honda Civic EF powered by a K20A Type R engine and, later, his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V.

The latter became particularly associated with Sarwar's Rallycross career. Built over several years, the Evo combines components from different generations of Mitsubishi's legendary performance saloon, including an Evo VIII MR-sourced 4G63T engine and Evo 6.5 drivetrain and limited-slip differentials.

After years of competing with the car, Sarwar finally took the overall Rallycross Championship title in 2024.

"I started racing from 2013 when I first competed in Rallycross Bangladesh. I've scored several podiums there and won the championship in 2024," he said.

His ambitions, however, had already begun extending beyond Rallycross.

In 2019, Sarwar travelled to India to train in Formula LGB, giving him experience behind the wheel of a purpose-built single-seater. Further international racing plans were subsequently interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He returned to that path in 2025, joining the AAB Racing Academy to obtain his National Racing Licence. That same year also saw him compete internationally in Auto Gymkhana, representing Bangladesh as an AAB-selected driver at the Asia Auto Gymkhana Championship (AAGC).

The championship took him to Taiwan and Uzbekistan, providing valuable experience against competitors from countries with considerably more established motorsport scenes.

Those outings also helped prepare him for his latest challenge at Sepang.

For most racing enthusiasts, the name Sepang immediately carries considerable weight. The Malaysian circuit hosted Formula One between 1999 and 2017 and continues to host major international motorsport events, including MotoGP. For a Bangladeshi competitor still building an international racing career, taking a podium at an event held at the venue therefore makes the result particularly memorable.

Sarwar, however, sees Gymkhana as a starting point rather than the end goal.

"I'll continue with Gymkhana. Though it does not look as impressive, it requires a high level of skill and car control and is a great starting point for other types of racing," he explained.

The longer-term ambition is to use that experience to move into faster and more demanding categories.

"I plan on growing from here to Touring Car racing, Endurance and might try a stint at Formula 4 in the future," Sarwar added.

For someone who began competing when organised motorsport in Bangladesh was still finding its feet, the progression has already been considerable.

From Rallycross podiums at home and finally winning the championship in 2024, to training in India and competing in the AAGC, Sarwar has steadily worked his way towards racing beyond Bangladesh.

Now, with a third-place finish at Sepang, he has an international podium to show for it.