Monir Hossain makes history with 100-km marathon swim

MANIKGANJ, Dec 21: Swimmer Monir Hossain has made history by non-stop swimming in a 100 kilometre marathon, held mostly in the Padma River.

Monir started his swim from Paturia Ferry Ghat No. 2 on Friday evening and reached the Meghna River estuary in Chandpur around 7 PM on Saturday.

Before the event - organised by former students of Chittagong University -- began, a large crowd of curious onlookers gathered at Paturia Ghat, flashing their cameras as palpable excitement filled the air. Monir appeared calm, composed and confident before his journey, which was not only a test of physical endurance but a mental battle against cold water, unpredictable currents and relentless force of the Padma -even during the darkness at night.

Monir Hossain, who is now in his late forties, spoke to this correspondent before the swim. He said, "I have been involved in swimming since childhood. I was a champion at school, college, and university levels, and I have won numerous inter-university competitions. In 2022, I successfully completed the Bangla Channel swim. In the same year, I swam 10 kilometres across the Jamuna River and 35 kilometres across the Padma."

He added, "After completing the 35-kilometre Padma swim in 2022, I made a vow to return one day and complete a 100-kilometre swim in this river. Various obstacles prevented me from taking on this challenge over the last three years, but I remained consistently involved in swimming. Having completed multiple events in the Padma, I am well familiar with this river."

Regarding preparation, Monir Hossain said, "About two months ago, I personally surveyed the river conditions from Paturia to the Meghna estuary. The Padma is extremely dangerous, especially during June, July, and August when the current is very strong. At this time of year, the flow is comparatively calm, making it the most suitable period. According to my calculation, it may take approximately 19 to 20 hours to complete the 100 kilometres."

According to the organisers, this is the first-ever attempt in Bangladesh to complete a 100-kilometre nonstop river swim in the Padma. It is also considered a rare event in South Asia.

The marathon swim has been organised with a strong message of river conservation and environmental protection. Coinciding with Victory Day, the initiative aims to raise awareness about preserving natural river flows and ecological balance.

He further added, "Considering his physical fitness and experience, we applied for official approval from the shipping secretary, which was granted. A tugboat has been arranged for safety, and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority provided two trained divers," he said adding at one point that, "The Padma River was chosen because it does not pose any risk of sharks and offers relatively better water clarity." Environmental activist Mihir Biswas, joint convener of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), said, "Our rivers are in severe crisis due to encroachment and pollution. Once, Bangladesh had nearly 24,000 kilometres of rivers, but now that number has shrunk to around 6,000 kilometres. Although the government has taken various initiatives to protect rivers, effective implementation is rarely seen. Through such exceptional events, we want to remind people that protecting rivers is a collective responsibility. If rivers survive, the country and environment will survive."

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