Sport as a critique of politics: Everest climbing, nationalism and the failure of politics in Bangladesh

Abstract

Attempting to scale Mount Everest is a very recent sporting activity for Bangladeshis. Presently, four Bangladeshis (two men and two women) have hoisted the flag of Bangladesh, a country ranked consistently low on global governance and development indices, over the peak of Everest. In the aftermath, these mountaineers have become ‘sources of national inspiration’ and received national media attention and have been associated with politicians and civil society groups. In other words, they become national heroes – powerful symbols of nationalism – in recognition of their ‘heroic’ achievement of hoisting the flag at the top of the world. My thesis is that, in Bangladesh, Everest climbing has political significance as these mountaineers use their public platform to criticise national politics. Even hoisting the flag at the top of the world (after risking own lives) can be used as a way to express dissatisfaction over the country’s politics.