BANGLADESH

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday hoped at a reception for four Bangladeshis who scaled Mount Everest that the future generations will take Bangladesh's flag to new heights.

She handed over crests and cheques of Tk 100,000 each to Musa Ibrahim, M A Muhit, Nishat Mazumder and Wasfia Nazreen at her office.

The Prime Minister congratulated them on their climbing the world's tallest peak.

"We have many achievements. [Today] we can identify ourselves as Bangalees, we have accomplished an independent country, a flag."

Hasina seized the occasion to thank the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman saying all of these were possible for him.

The Prime Minister specially mentioned the feats of Nishat and Wasfia and said "Women have taken part in all our achievements. Women have matched men. None of the boys and girls is lagging behind."

Musa Ibrahim, the first Bangladeshi to scale the highest summit, said, "Bangladesh has conquered Everest as the 67th country. Many will follow suit."

He urged the Prime Minister to set up a mountaineering institute and secure its place in the Guinness Book of World Records by planting one million trees in a day.

Hasina said her government would consider such mountaineering institute and added that it would not be difficult to plant a million trees in a day as her party plants trees on the first day of Bengali month of Asharh.

Muhit, who scaled the highest summit twice, presented one of his photographs to Hasina in which he holds the national flag on the highest peak.

Nishat, the first Bangladeshi woman to climb to the fearsome and unforgiving peak, also talked about her feelings at the programme.

Wasfia, the second Bangladeshi woman to conquer Mount Everest, remembered the contributions of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the beginning of her speech.

"We women are making progress. I feel like I am having a rebirth after returning from the Everest amid great risks," she said.

State Ministers for Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and Ministry of Sports and Youths Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Md Ahad Ali Sarkar also spoke on the occasion.

Ministers, Prime Minister's Advisors, State Ministers, MPs and the top-brass of the PMO were also present.

Later, popular singers Rezwana Chowdhury Bonna and SI Tutul performed at a cultural programme there.

Nishat reached Everest's 8,850-meter-high (29,035-foot-high) summit from the northern side of the mountain in Nepal May 19 morning with another team member, M A Mohit.

Wasfia reached the highest peak on May 26.

Musa Ibrahim was the first Bangladeshi to have conquered the Everest on May 22, 2010.

Nishat's companion Mohit was the second man to scale it on May 21, 2011.

Nishat Mazumder, the first Bangladeshi woman who conquered the fearsome and unforgiving Mount Everest, and her colleague MA Mohit have climbed down to the base camp of the world's tallest mountain.

Talking to  on Tuesday, they said they were hoping to return to Bangladesh on June 1.

Both said they were physically fine except for catching some cold because of the chilly weather and snow storms.

Nishat ascended the 8,850-meter (29,035 feet) Everest summit from the northern side of the mountain in Nepal around 9:30am on May 19, along with Mohit, who is the second Bangladeshi to have conquered the Everest.

Mohit is the current president of renowned mountaineering organisation Bangla Mountaineering and Trekking Club (BMTC) situated in the capital's Kakoli area. Nishat is its member.

Expressing her feelings about the moment when she became the first Bangladeshi woman to conquer the Everest, Nishat told : "I could not believe myself ... I thought I was dreaming."

"It was a very tough. When we started our journey, we didn't think it would be so difficult and risky," she said reminiscing the historic climb.

On the difficulties she faced during the journey, she said, "An avalanche took place around 10am on Apr 27 at a peak beside Mount Everest when we were on our way to the Camp-2 from the base camp."

"This is kind of normal thing here, but it was a massive one," Nishat said adding she did receive a hit on her head because of the avalanche, "but it was not that serious".

"If we had been at the base camp at that time, all of us would have died. I saw death from this close. Our survival was a miracle.

"Moreover, the weather was too bad with stormy winds. We thought the wind would blow us away. Our road to the peak was extremely risky."

Nishat said, "I heard later that at least 22 mountaineers died on way to the peak due to accidents."

Asked whether she ever thought that she would become the first Bangladeshi woman to conquer the world's tallest mountain, the girl from Laxmipur district said, "Just like other mountaineers, I also had the dream to conquer the Everest."

"My dream is fulfilled, and I have no words to express my feelings."

"Usually one finishes one's mountaineering career after winning the Everest, but I started mine the other way round," Nishat said with a snigger.

Nishat, the second child of her parents, is also the first Bangladeshi woman to conquer three other Himalayan peaks higher than 6,000 metres. She conquered the Himalaya's Mera Peak (6,653.78 metres) in 2007, Singchuli Peak (6,501 metres) in 2008 and Makalu Peak (8,493.3 metres) in 2009.

Born in Laxmipur in 1981, she completed her secondary education at Bottomley Home Girls High School and higher secondary education at Shahid Anwar Girls College. She did her bachelors and masters in Accounting from Dhaka City College and currently works for Dhaka WASA.

She, however, did not forget to express her gratefulness to her family and her club BMTC and fellow club members.

"This wouldn't have been possible without my parents' support. Also, my club members gave me support and courage. But most of the credit goes to club's founder Inam Al Haque, who taught me everything."

"He taught me about the mountains and what mountaineering is all about," she added.

While Nishat was talking to  on Tuesday, she and Mohit were staying at the base camp, 5,305 metre high from the sea level.
To the young generation, Nishat Mazumder said, "I would like to tell the young generation that no matter wherever your interest is, just concentrate on it. The dream will come true."

Nishat's colleague and BMTC President MA Mohit told : "There are two ways leading to the peak of the Mount Everest. One is the Tibbet's border side North-East Ridge and the other one is in the opposite, the South-East Ridge."

Musa Ibrahim, founder of Bangladesh's North Alpine Club, was the first Bangladeshi to have conquered the Everest on May 22, 2010, taking the North-East Ridge path. Then Mohit conquered the Everest on May 21, 2011, as the second Bangladeshi.

Mohit said, "Compared to the South-East one, North-East Ridge is much safer. Trekking on this path is also easier. Mountaineers generally take this path."

"South-East one is much more risky. There are 20 danger zones in the path from the base camp to camp-4. At least 20 mountaineers have died in these zones until now."

Asked why take the riskier one than taking the safer path, Mohit, a veteran climber who made it to the top of Everest, Manaslu and Cho-Oyu-3 summits over 8,000 metres high, said, "Simply because of more adventure."

"I took the North-East Ridge first time, that's why I took the South-East one this time."

Asked whether he felt any difference between his feelings after scaling the Everest the first and the second time, he said, "When I conquered the Everest for the first time, I felt like I was the king of the world. I felt the same this time, too."

"We wanted to prove that we, Bangladeshis, can do it. We will always get to the highest peak overcoming all the obstacles," Mohit said.

Nishat Mazumder has climbed to the fearsome and unforgiving peak of Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain at more than five miles high, as the first Bangladeshi woman.

She ascended to Everest's 8,850-meter-high (29,035-foot-high) summit from the northern side of the mountain in Nepal on Saturday morning with M A Mohit, the second Bangladeshi to have conquered the Everest.

An accountant by profession, Mazumder was accompanied by Mohit, a veteran climber who made it to the top of Everest, Manaslu and Cho-Oyu-3 summits higher than 8,000 metres.

"We found out from her Sherpa that Nishat and M A Mohit have made it to the top around 9:30am," Bangla Mountaineering and Trekking Club founder Inam Al Haque told  on Saturday.

Both Mazumder and Mohit are members of the club.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has congratulated Mazumder on her success.

Mazumder, the second child of her parents, was also the first Bangladeshi woman to have conquered three Himalayan peaks higher than 6,000 metres. She conquered Himalaya's Mera Peak (6,653.78 metres) in 2007, Singchuli Peak (6,501 metres) in 2008 and Makalu Peak (8,493.3 metres) in 2009.

Born in Laxmipur, Mazumder completed her secondary education at Bottomley Home Girls High School and higher secondary education at Shahid Anwar Girls College. She did her bachelors and masters in accounting from Dhaka City College and currently works for Dhaka WASA.

Mazumder dedicated her ascent to Plan International's 'Because I am a Girl' campaign. NGO Plan Bangladesh co-sponsored her expedition that began on Apr 9.

Musa Ibrahim, member of Bangladesh's North Alpine Club, was the first Bangladeshi to have conquered the Everest on May 22, 2010.

Weather conditions on the mountain have been challenging this year, prompting several expeditions to cancel their plans to try to reach the summit.

May is considered the best month to climb Everest, when climbers get about two windows of good weather for their bid for the summit.

'Because I am a girl'

When Plan Bangladesh launches its 'Because I am a Girl' campaign this October they plan to urge everyone to raise their hands, 'Hands Up!' they call it, in support of women's empowerment.

Nishat Mazumder, their champion, will have already raised her hand on top of the Everest. "Now that has got to be the highest raised hand in the world, right? You couldn't get any higher than the Everest," said Nova Shams, Plan's spokesperson in Dhaka.

Given her unprecedented feat as a Bangladeshi woman, Mazumder will naturally feature prominently in the campaign that will be launched on the global Girl Child Day on Oct 11 globally.

"And this ties in really well with our theme," Shams told  She has shown that woman too can overcome daunting odds with the family support and mental resolve.