Club Drive 3: Mercedes Benz Mawa Run
Mercedes Benz Club Bangladesh held their third Mawa Run on 9 September at the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga expressway, an event every Mercedes owner looks forward to
Around 15 Mercedes Benz were parked at the Gulshan two dead end, in front of the Pakistan embassy at around 8:30 in the morning. A brief chat and photo session later, the cars were on their way towards Mawa.
Leading the parade was Khondker Mandood Ahmed's classic Mercedes Benz W123 E Class, followed by the newer generation sedans and coupes, followed by SUVs.
Mercedes Benz Club Bangladesh held their third Mawa Run on 9 September, 2022, at the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga expressway, an event every Mercedes owner looks forward to.
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Traffic was unusually high for a Friday morning, starting all the way from Mayor Hanif Flyover tollbooth, probably because of the newly opened Padma Bridge.
Hurdling through the traffic for about half an hour, the Benz owners finally managed to pass over Buriganga, and regrouped after Postogola Toll Plaza. From there the cars lined-up and were on their way towards Mawa around 9:30 AM.
The lineup actually was a great visualisation of the timeline of Mercedes Benz cars in Bangladesh, the pristine W123s led the pack of E and S class cars. In the back was the future, the all electric MB EQC 400.
Passing Mawa police station, owners decided to take the left for a off tarmac drive under the Padma Multipurpose Bridge. For the classics and the SUVs, the muddy, bumpy, uneven makeshift road was still somewhat manageable. The more premium models decided to take the regular road towards the ferry ghat.
Twenty minutes after the impromptu adventure, they reached Shoker Hari, a restaurant chosen for the cars to regroup and grab some refreshments.
Late summer heat got the best of some of the club members, so they decided to skip the refreshments and head back home. Other members, who did not show up for the 7 AM meet joined the group here.
Shokher Hari features an open parking lot, a perfect place to hold a car meet.
Some of the coolest cars at the meet were a couple of tastefully restored classics, two W123s even retained their original engines. There was a single C200 cabriolet, a G Wagon, a 2018 Mercedes Benz S Class and a futuristic Mercedes Benz EQC 400.
Mercedes Benz has been making cars for over a hundred years, and has set the benchmark standard for luxury cars in the global market.
Mercedes Benz Club Bangladesh began in 2009. It is one of the few active car groups in Bangladesh. With the intention of creating a community of Mercedes Benz owners and enthusiasts under one roof, they regularly organise meets and impromptu drives. The club is also officially approved by Mercedes Benz Bangladesh.
"This is the third annual Mawa Run of Mercedes Benz Club Bangladesh and also the biggest one till date," said Khondker Mandood Ahmed, founder Mercedes Benz Club Bangladesh. "The premium car scene has changed drastically over the last decade in Bangladesh. More and more owners have joined the club over the years. We hosted the biggest Mercedes car meet in the country back in 2019. The event was called Heritage Meet, which featured over 75 different cars. We even had the German Ambassador attend as the Chief Guest."
Mawa always feels incomplete without having some hilsa fish, so the Mercedes Benz club members decided to have brunch before they hit the road again. After a fried hilsa and eggplant break, everyone gathered at the parking lot for a group photo before heading home.
Exchanging their goodbyes, one by one the cars started to head out, putting an end to a great meet. Apart from the unforgiving heat that day, it turned out to be a great day filled with beautiful cars, Mawa highway pulls, and of course the fried hilsa and eggplant.
Interesting cars at the drive
Mercedes Benz G Wagen G63
This car is used by elites, from rich businessmen to government personnel, our honourable Prime Minister also uses one of these. Despite several units of the G Wagen available in the country, this was the only unit present at the drive.
Mercedes Benz EQC 400
The future of the automobile industry is electric. The EQ series is Mercedes's line of electric cars. The company claims an estimated range of 220 miles. The EQ series has become a popular choice among premium car buyers since the beginning of this year.
Mercedes Benz W123 E Class
Being front in line of every Mercedes Benz Club Bangladesh car meet, this particular unit is owned by the founder of the club. Still retaining its original engine, the car – along with the owner – has recently been featured in Mercedes Benz's official magazine 'Classic 20' as the unit from Asia!
Mercedes Benz C200 Cabriolet
This C200 Cabriolet is an entry level, two-door, compact executive. The car is powered by a 1500cc inline four, paired with an electric motor. The C200 Cabriolet was the only convertible Mercedes present at the drive.
