Dr Babar Ali first Bangladeshi to climb 8,000m peak without supplemental oxygen

Bangladesh has reached a new milestone in mountaineering as Dr. Babar Ali became the first Bangladeshi to summit an 8,000-meter peak without supplemental oxygen this morning. He successfully climbed Mount Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world at 8,163 meters in the Himalayas.

This historic ascent marks Babar’s fourth successful summit of an 8,000-meter peak, after Everest-Lhotse and Annapurna I. Alongside him, Tanvir Ahmed also reached the summit on his first 8,000-meter expedition.

The expedition manager Forhan Zaman confirmed the achievement from Nepal, saying Bangladesh’s flag flew twice on Manaslu’s summit that day. Babar fulfilled his long-held dream, while Tanvir proved success is possible without formal foreign training.

The journey started from Bangladesh on September 5. After trekking five days and acclimatizing through camps 1 to 3, both climbers reached camp 4 on September 24 and then summited on September 26 early morning with guidance from Sherpas.

Babar, a graduate of Chattogram Medical College and general secretary of Vertical Dreamers, is a leading Bangladeshi mountaineer. Tanvir, from Kishoreganj and mountaineering secretary of the club, previously climbed Ama Dablam in 2022. The expedition had support from multiple Bangladeshi sponsors.

Both climbers are determined to continue their mountaineering journeys, dreaming of conquering all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks while proudly flying Bangladesh’s flag higher.