Musa Ibrahim

Musa Ibrahim
Ibrahim in 2010
Native name	মুসা ইব্রাহীম
Born	1979 (age 36–37)[1] Lalmonirhat, Bangladesh[2]
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Alma mater	University of Dhaka BRAC University
Occupation	Mountaineer/Journalist
Known for	Being the first Bangladeshi to reach the top of Mount Everest.
Spouse(s)	Ummey Sharaban Tahura[1]
Children	son, Wasi Ibrahim Raiid[1]
Website	musaibrahim.com.bd

Musa Ibrahim (Bengali: মুসা ইব্রাহীম) is a Bangladeshi mountaineer and a journalist by profession. He claimed to be the first Bangladeshi to reach the summit of Mount Everest.^{[3][4][5][6][7]} He reached the summit around 5:05am BST on 23 May 2010 and hoisted flag of Bangladesh on the apex of the world at around 5:16am BST. From then, Bangladesh became the 67th Mount Everest conquering country.^[8][9] However, MA Muhith and Nishat Majumder were respectively the first male and female from Bangladesh to have climbed Mt Everest successfully according to Nepal Parbat, a publication by Nepal's Tourism Ministry and Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA).^[10]

Ibrahim is the General Secretary of North Alpine Club Bangladesh, a Bangladeshi mountaineering club and serves as senior correspondent at Channel 24. He served as the sub-editor of The Daily Star.^[11] He founded the Everest Academy in 2011 for a wide participation of youth in mountaineering and adventure activities.

Biography

Early life

Ibrahim was born in Bogra, in his maternal grandparents' house. His paternal grandparents house is in Gandhamarua (Basintari) village in Aditmari upazila, Lalmonirhat.^[12] He was a student of Thakurgaon Sugar Mills High School during 1983 to 1994. He passed Higher Secondary Certificate in 1996 from Notre Dame College. He attained his Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree on Science Education and Master of Education (MEd) degree on Educational Evaluation and Research from Institute of Education and Research (IER), University of Dhaka.^[13] He later earned a degree on Disaster Management from BRAC University.

Work and achievements

Ibrahim is the first Bangladeshi citizen who climbed Mount Everest. He reached the peak on 23 May 2010 where he hoisted the national flag of Bangladesh.^[14] He used the North Alpine route on the Tibetan side to reach the highest peak of the world. Besides Musa, six Britons, three Montenegrins, an American and a Serbian were on the team. The China Tibet Mountaineering Association certified his climb. The certificate read "This is to certify that, on 2010 May 23 at 6.50am Md Musa Ibrahim Bangladesh reached the top of the peak of Everest, Chomolungma of Mt. Everest."^[15]

Ibrahim and Satyarup Siddhanta of India planned to participate in an expedition titled 'First Bangladesh-India Friendship Expedition to Mount Denali' in the first week of June 2014. This was announced at a sole talk programme by Ibrahim at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Thursday, says a press release. Indian Deputy High Commissioner Sandwip Chakravarty spoke at the function wishing success of the expedition.^[16]

Mountaineering timeline

• 13 September 2011: Mount Kilimanjaro (5,885 metres/19,308 feet) Summit. Ibrahim reached the summit on 13 September 2011, with his team member Niaz Morshed Patwary.^[17]
• 23 May 2010: Everest (8,848 m/29,029 ft) Summit^[18] Ibrahim stated he reached "the summit of the Mount Everest through North Route, Tibet, China on 23 May 2010."^[19] (According to the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), this information is false.^[10])
• 14 June 2009: Annapurna IV (7,525 m/24,682 ft) Summit^[20]
• 1 December 2008: Langsisa Ri (6,310 m/20,700 ft) Summit.^[21]
• May 2007: Chulu West (6,419 m/21054 ft) Ascent up to 18,500 ft^[22]
• May 2006: Frey Peak (5,831 m/19125 ft) Summit^[23]
• September 2005: Advanced Mountaineering Training from Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, India (5,335 m/17,500 ft) Finished training successfully^[24]
• May 2005: Mera Peak (6,654 m/21,825 ft) Ascent up to 18,500 ft^[25]
• 10–23 May 2004: Everest Base Camp (EBC) Trail (5,335 m/17,500 ft) Trekked successfully^[26]
• April 2004: Basic Mountaineering Training from Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, (4,878 m/16,000 ft) Finished training successfully.^[27]
• 8–16 April 2002: Annapurna Trail (3,800 m/12,464 ft) Ascent Muktinath^[28]
• September 2000: Keocradong Hill (967 m/3,172 ft) Trekked to the top successfully.^[25]

Controversy

In 2014, details emerged that showed that Musa had not climbed to the summit of Mount Everest. According to Nepal Parbat, a publication by Nepal's Tourism Ministry and Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), MA Muhith and Nishat Majumder were respectively the first male and female from Bangladesh to have climbed Mt Everest successfully. Former NMA President Zimba Zangbu Sherpa told Ekattor TV that the picture of Musa Ibrahim claimed to be atop the summit of Everest was in fact taken 7000ft below the peak.^[10]

References