Back to 8000 metres: How Bangladesh’s mountaineers emerged from a decade-long pause

On 19 May, Bangladesh's mountaineering community marked a new chapter in its history when Ikramul Hasan Shakil summited Mount Everest (8,848 metres). 

He became the fastest and youngest Bangladeshi—and set a world record—to summit Everest on foot from sea level. He began his journey in Cox's Bazar and reached the top of the world in just 84 days.

Recent years have been remarkable for Bangladesh's mountaineering community. After nearly a decade-long hiatus from eight-thousanders—since Sajal Khaled's death on Everest in 2013 and the legendary MA Muhit and Nishat Majumder's attempt on Shishapangma that September—Bangladeshi mountaineer Wasfia Nazreen made a breakthrough in 2022 by becoming the first Bangali to summit K2 (8,611 metres), the notorious 'killer mountain'.

Eight-thousanders refer to the giant mountains that rise above 8,000 metres in height. These peaks lie within what is known as the 'death zone', where the human body does not receive adequate oxygen to survive for long. There are 14 such eight-thousanders located across Nepal, Pakistan, Tibet (China), and India.

Hundreds of climbers who succeed in summiting these mountains each year are regarded as 'elite' mountaineers. Several Bangladeshi climbers—including MA Muhit, Musa Ibrahim, Wasfia Nazreen, Nishat Majumdar, and Sajal Khaled—joined this elite club in quick succession during the 2010s.

After Wasfia climbed K2, Babar Ali emerged on the scene, making history by summiting two giants—Everest and Lhotse (8,516 metres)—in one expedition. In less than 12 months, he recently summited Annapurna I (8,091 metres), one of the most dangerous mountains in terms of climbers' fatality rates.

Bangladeshi climbers have so far claimed the summits of Everest, K2, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Manaslu, and Annapurna I. That leaves eight more to conquer, and the Bangladeshi mountaineering community believes the second innings will see Bangladeshis reaching the remaining summits.

"This is very promising, the way things have been progressing since after the coronavirus," said mountaineer Babar Ali. "There are many climbers in Bangladesh right now who have already climbed 6,000 metres. For example, five climbers—including myself—have climbed Ama Dablam (6,812 metres). I'm confident someone will summit it again this year."

"Our climbers are summiting technical mountains. This is very inspiring. I believe more climbers will emerge in the coming years and achieve something exceptional," he added.

What led to the hiatus?

The series of successful summits that came into the limelight with Musa Ibrahim's Everest bid actually began in 2003 with the Bangladesh Mountaineering and Trekking Club (BMTC), founded by Enam Ul Haque.

"We used to scale smaller and technical mountains before attempting the eight-thousanders. I attempted Manaslu (8,163 metres) as the first Bangladeshi in 2008, and Everest in 2010," said MA Muhit.

Although both of Muhit's initial attempts had to be abandoned due to bad weather, he successfully summited both mountains in 2011. In fact, he summited Everest twice—once from the Tibet side in 2011 and again from the Nepal side in 2012. He is also the first Bangladeshi to summit Cho Oyu (8,188 metres).

What followed in 2013 was the tragic death of Sajal Khaled during his descent—his passing deeply shook the mountaineering community.

Later that year, both Muhit and Nishat Majumdar attempted Shishapangma in Tibet together, but bad weather forced them to abandon the expedition.

And that marked the last Bangladeshi attempt on an eight-thousander until Wasfia reached the summit of K2 in 2022.

"After Sajal's death, there was a pause—it may have slightly shaken the community," said Babar Ali.

However, he emphasised that this was likely only a minor factor—the primary reason was the lack of financial backing.

Nishat Majumdar recently attempted Manaslu in 2022. She had summited Everest in 2011 alongside Muhit.

"An era began in 2003 and ended in 2013. The pause that followed was due to the lack of financial support. There were some smaller climbs—it wasn't a complete void. But smaller expeditions hardly make the news," said Nishat.

"But that period actually prepared the pool you see now. Many others were ready but couldn't go due to the lack of financial support," she said.

Babar, Muhit, and Nishat all agreed that the years without any Bangladeshi summits of eight-thousanders were not entirely barren. Rather, it was a preparatory phase, marked by smaller and technical climbs, which laid the groundwork for the recent successes.

"The pioneers who summited the eight-thousanders in the first phase had actually been preparing since 2003. And after some years, they bloomed," said Babar.

Eight-thousanders refer to the giant mountains that rise above 8,000 metres in height. These peaks lie within what is known as the 'death zone', where the human body does not receive adequate oxygen to survive for long. There are 14 such eight-thousanders located across Nepal, Pakistan, Tibet (China), and India.

Looking ahead to an 'inspiring' future

Starting with the 2022 K2 summit, four Bangladeshi climbers made six attempts on eight-thousanders, achieving five successful summits.

How did this breakthrough happen?

Nishat said that social media and crowdfunding have helped ease the financial pressure on mountaineers.

"Many people have the desire to climb but lack the means. They love to contribute to those who summit and share in their joy," Nishat added.

However, it remains a mountainous challenge for mountaineers to convince corporate sponsors to invest in an extreme sport that is highly expensive—a climb of Everest can cost up to $50,000—and one that most Bangladeshis find hard to relate to.

Since Bangladesh is a low-lying country with its tallest hills reaching only about a thousand metres, it is also tough and expensive for aspiring mountaineers in their training phase. They must travel to Nepal or India, and the specialised gear and clothing required are costly.

For sponsors, on the other hand, there are easier options, such as travel vloggers who go trekking and attract many views within a similar interest. These content creators tend to focus more on promoting sponsors and delivering timely content, which serious mountaineers cannot always do.

"The mountaineers are going to the remotest corners and may not have many luxuries. For us, it's all about climbing and enjoying the experience. Everything else remains secondary," said Babar Ali.

Bangladeshi mountaineers believe the media can play a significant role in mainstreaming mountaineering as a sport.

"It still appears on lifestyle pages and tucked away in corners. The media should give it proper focus. If mountaineering can become a recognised sport, there is great hope for younger climbers," Babar added.

Nishat said she is optimistic about the future but stressed that media support is necessary for their community to grow.

She also organises a group called Ovijatrik, which trains women in mountaineering. Nishat mentioned that one female climber from her team is prepared and ready for a summit push, intending to embark next year.

"This is an outstanding opportunity to help young people get rid of smoking and drugs and channel their energy into something productive and remarkable," she concluded.