From doctor to mountaineer: Babar Ali conquers Mount Everest, ends 11-year hiatus
On Sunday at 8:30am local time, Ali raised the red-green flag of Bangladesh at the top of Mount Everest, becoming the sixth Bangladeshi to achieve this feat.
Bangladeshi mountaineer Babar Ali, a doctor by profession, has successfully summited Mount Everest, ending an 11-year hiatus for Bangladeshi climbers on the world's highest peak.
Early on Sunday at 8:30am local time, Ali raised the red-green flag of Bangladesh at the top of Mount Everest, becoming the sixth Bangladeshi to achieve this feat. The chief coordinator of the expedition, Farhan Zaman, confirmed this historic accomplishment to The Business Standard from the base camp.
Babar's success adds to the legacy of Bangladeshi mountaineers who have previously summited Everest, including Musa Ibrahim on 23 May 2010, MA Muhit on 21 May 2011, Nishat Majumdar on 19 May 2012, Wasfia Nazreen on 26 May 2012, and late Md Khaled Hossain on 20 May 2013.
Md Khaled Hossain tragically died on his descent from the peak. Babar's summit comes 11 years after this tragic incident.
Born and raised in the Burishchar area of Hathazari upazila in Chattogram, Babar studied at Chattogram Medical College. His passion, however, has always been adventure.
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Although he worked as a public health officer for some time, he left his job after being denied leave for a previous expedition.
He became a member of Vertical Dreamers, a mountaineering club established in Chattogram in 2014, which has been a driving force in inspiring and guiding youth towards mountaineering and mountain expeditions.
According to Farhan Zaman, a member of Vertical Dreamers, Babar's journey to Everest began on 1 April when he left Bangladesh for Nepal. After completing preparatory work in Kathmandu, he embarked on a flight to Lukla, known as one of the most dangerous airports globally.
From Lukla, Babr trekked to the Everest base camp, reaching it on 10 April. His acclimatisation process included summiting Labuche East, a peak at 20,075 feet, on 16 April. After this preparatory climb, he returned to base camp and, on 26 April, moved on to Camp-2 at 21,300 feet for further altitude acclimatisation.
Babar's summit push began at midnight on 14 May, ascending directly to Camp-2 and then progressing to Camp-3 at 24,500 feet on 18 May. He reached Camp-4, located in the notorious Death Zone at 26,000 feet, on 19 May. Early this morning, at the crack of dawn, Babar reached the summit of Mount Everest, standing at 29,031 feet.
However, Babar's ambitions extend beyond Everest. His next goal is to summit Lhotse, the world's fourth-highest mountain, making him the first Bangladeshi to do so.
No Bangladeshi has previously climbed two eight-thousanders in the same expedition. The eight-thousanders are the 14 mountains recognised by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation as being more than 8,000 metres (26,247 ft) in height above sea level, and sufficiently independent of neighbouring peaks.
Babar Ali, accompanied by his mountaineering guide Veere Tamang, aims to achieve this historic feat shortly.
Ashraful Arefin Asif, speaking on behalf of Babar's mountaineering club Vertical Dreamers, expressed immense pride in his achievement.
"Babar's success is not only his personal achievement but a matter of pride for all of Bangladesh. It will inspire the youth of our country to dream bigger and fulfill them," Asif said.
"Babar's expedition has been meticulously planned over the past month and a half, but his dedication to mountaineering spans a decade. Since founding Vertical Dreamers in 2014, Ali has climbed numerous peaks in Nepal and India. He was the first Bangladeshi to summit Nepal's Ama Dablam. His adventurous spirit extends to cycling, marathons, and scuba diving, having cycled across India and explored every district of Bangladesh on foot," Asif added.
Overwhelmed with his son's historic achievement, Babar's father, Liaquat Ali, told The Business Standard that Babar not only made his family proud but also the entire nation.
"Though we had sleepless nights in tension for the last few weeks, we are very happy to learn about his summit. We urge the nation to pray for his safe return home," he added.
Speaking about Babar's childhood, his mother, Lutfunnahar Begum, said that Babar had been adventurous and studious since his childhood.
"He became a doctor to fulfill our dream, but his dream was to do something extraordinary. He finally made his dream come true by conquering the peak of Everest," she added.
Ali has climbed several notable peaks, including Tsergo Ri (4,984 metres), Surya Peak (5,145 metres), Mount Yunam (6,116 metres), Mount Fabrang (6,172 metres), Mount Chau Chau Kang Nilda (6,303 metres), Mount Shiva (6,142 metres), Mount Ramjak (6,318 metres), Mount Ama Dablam (6,812 metres), and Chulu East Peak (6,059 metres).
Additionally, his adventurous spirit extends to completing a walking tour across all 64 districts of Bangladesh, cycling, and scuba diving. In 2023, he became the first Bangladeshi to cycle India's longest highway, the Kashmir-Kanyakumari route (4,000 km).
The Everest expedition, costing Tk4.5 million, was sponsored by Visual Knitwear Limited, with additional support from Everest Pharmaceuticals Limited, Dhaka Divers Club, Beacon Pharmaceuticals Limited, Clause, Chandrabindu Prakashani, and Piri.
