Shakil makes History

He has done it, and that too under 90 days.

Bangladeshi mountaineer Ikramul Hasan Shakil yesterday successfully summited Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, after walking around 1,400 kilometres from the shores of the Bay of Bengal in Cox's Bazar in just 84 days, completing his Sea to Summit expedition.

According to his Nepali expedition agency, 8K Expeditions, the 31-year-old Shakil stood atop the 8,848 metre Mount Everest -- the world's highest peak -- hoisting the flag of Bangladesh around 6:30am yesterday.

"Just received the news -- Shakil has reached the summit and is safe. He has descended to Camp 4. Due to limited network access, more details will be shared later," Shakil's local coordinators posted on his official Facebook page.

If confirmed by Guinness World Records, Shakil will be the fastest and youngest person to complete the herculean task.

Later, the local coordinators, quoting 8K Expeditions, said Shakil climbed down to camp 2.

Sherpa guide Tashi Galjen, who is attempting a record: four Everest summits in a single season, accompanied Shakil to the top and is now descending with him.

Photo: Ikramul Hasan Shakil

Shakil began his expedition from the shores of Inani Beach in Cox's Bazar on February 25 to raise awareness about climate change, particularly against plastic pollution.

After walking 1,374 kilometres over 64 days, crossing bustling cities, winding mountain paths, and even swimming 3km across the mighty Jamuna river, he reached Everest Base Camp on April 29.

Along the way, Shakil engaged with local communities and spread awareness about plastic pollution and climate change – an adventure he regularly shared on his social media handles.

He reached Dhaka in 12 days, walking through several districts including Chattogram, Feni, Cumilla and Munshiganj.

After a brief rest, he resumed his trek and reached Banglabandha Land Port in Panchagarh on March 28, walking around 970km.

From there, he crossed into India, trekking through Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling before entering Nepal on March 31 through Kakarvitta Land Port.

According to his companions along the way and his official Facebook page, he then trekked to Kanchenjunga Base Camp for acclimatisation.

After trekking more than 385km through Nepal, he finally reached Everest Base Camp on April 29.

A crucial phase of acclimatisation followed, including climbs to Camp 3 and back, part of the high-altitude preparation before the final summit push.

On May 16, Shakil left the base camp for Camp 2, then climbed successively to Camp 3 (May 17), Camp 4 (May 18), and finally made his summit bid on May 19.

Inspired by Australian mountaineer Tim Macartney-Snape, who first completed this expedition in 1990, walking 1,126 km in 96 days before summiting Everest, Shakil devised his own adventure.

Though he was physically and mentally prepared, securing the funds for such an ambitious journey proved to be a major challenge.

"Taking on such a task was not easy," said Sadia Sultana, one of his local coordinators.

"Shakil was determined, but financial uncertainty constantly loomed over the expedition," she added.

Despite the odds, the climb was made possible through a combination of corporate sponsorships, generous crowdfunding, and donations from travel enthusiasts across the country.

Key support came from PRAN group, the UNDP, Mr Noodles, Makalu-E-Traders Nepal, and Systema Bangladesh.

Shakil's summit marks a historic milestone for Bangladesh mountaineering. He became the seventh Bangladeshi to summit Everest, following the footsteps of Musa Ibrahim, MA Muhit, Nishat Majumder, Wasfia Nazreen, Mohammad Khaled Hossain and Babar Ali.

Shakil is a seasoned adventurer and environmental advocate. A graduate of India's Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, he has successfully climbed Himalayan peaks such as Kyajo Ri, Draupadi Ka Danda II, Himlung, and Dolma Khang.

In 2023, he gained attention for completing the Great Himalaya Trail, a gruelling 1,700-kilometer trek across Nepal's mountain spine from east to west.