2 Bangladeshi swimmers cross English Channel after 37 years

Two Bangladeshi swimmers, Mahfizur Rahman Sagar and Najmul Haq Himel, have made history by successfully crossing the English Channel after 37 years.

On Tuesday, the duo completed the challenging 33.4-kilometer swim in 12 hours and 20 minutes. They were part of a six-member international relay team, which included three Indian and one Mexican swimmer. The swim started at 2:30 AM local time from Dover, England. Sagar led the team during the final stage of the swim.

Nibarita Das, Joint Secretary of the Bangladesh Swimming Federation, confirmed the achievement to the media.

The English Channel is considered one of the toughest open water swimming routes due to its cold water, strong currents, and unpredictable weather.

The last Bangladeshi to cross the Channel was Mosharraf Hossain in 1988. The first was Brojen Das in 1958, who became the first South Asian to complete the swim and later crossed the Channel six more times.

This accomplishment marks a significant milestone for Bangladesh in international open water swimming.