Bangladeshi Mountaineer Scales Deadly Mount Manaslu

Bangladeshi mountaineer Taufique Ahmed Tamal has successfully conquered Mount Manaslu, the eighth-highest peak in the world, known for its extreme difficulty and high fatality rate.

At 3 a.m. on Wednesday, Tamal unfurled the red and green national flag of Bangladesh at the summit, marking a historic achievement for the country. The expedition was organised by Altitude Hunter, with confirmation of the ascent provided by its founder and administrator, Fazlur Rahman Shamim.

Taufique embarked on the expedition on September 1, aiming to conquer this formidable Himalayan peak. To celebrate the occasion, Bangladesh’s first woman Everest summiteer, Nishat Majumdar, ceremonially handed over the national flag to him at an event held at the Centre for Cultural Development in Dhaka.

With 14 years of experience in trekking and high-altitude mountaineering, Taufique has received both basic and advanced training from India’s Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. Over the years, he has successfully scaled seven peaks between 5,000 and 6,000 metres, and two peaks over 6,500 metres.

His notable achievements include becoming the first Bangladeshi to summit Tharpu Chuli during a winter expedition, conquering Bhagirathi-2 (6,512 metres), and successfully climbing Mount Ama Dablam (6,814 metres) last year—one of the most challenging peaks in the world.

Manaslu, part of the Mansiri Himal range in west-central Nepal, rises to 8,163 metres (26,781 feet) above sea level. It was first summited on May 9, 1956, by Japanese climbers Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen Norbu. Following that, no climber reached the peak for 15 years. A Japanese team achieved the summit again in 1971, followed by American climbers in 1997. Despite being the eighth-highest mountain globally, Manaslu is ranked as the fourth most fatal peak due to its treacherous conditions.

Taufique’s successful ascent of Manaslu not only highlights his personal skill and determination but also cements Bangladesh’s growing presence in the international mountaineering community. His achievement inspires a new generation of Bangladeshi climbers to take on the world’s most challenging peaks.