Tahmina Khan Shaily reached Dhaka on Sunday noon with some objects including a bag, a mask, spectacles and chocolates which were found by the team engaged to retrieve his body, which is believed to be in the ‘death zone’ of Everest, her brother Nasir Khan told bdnews24.com.
“She has broken down after failing to get back (the body of) Sajal. She’s not talking to anybody.”
The 35-year old mountaineer, known as Sajal Khaled after he directed a children’s film, died on May 20 while descending from the world’s highest peak.
Shamima Chowdhury, First Secretary (Consular) at the Bangladesh embassy in Nepal, told bdnews24.com that all the materials recovered from Everest were handed over to Sajal’s family on Saturday in Kathmandu.
A private firm, Seven Summit, was engaged to recover the mountaineer’s body under a tripartite agreement, involving also the Bangladesh High Commission and Nepal’s foreign ministry.
Sherpas of the firm could not trace Sajal’s body due to adverse weather.
Asked if new moves would be taken for recovery, Chowdhury said: “We’re making all-out efforts. But the weather is extremely adverse. The Sherpas said it was not possible to carry on the rescue operation in such weather.”
She said the weather was so unfavourable that even the Sherpas taking part in ‘Everest cleaning’ could not reach the peak.
“But it’s a matter of hope that the Sherpa group will go for rescue operation in the next season as per the agreement.”
A 12-strong Sherpa group of Seven Summit conducted two operations in the ‘death zone’. The found the materials of Sajal in areas 8,750 metres off the ground. Later they suspended the drive on May 27 amid the rough weather.
Sajal, a member of Bangla Mountaineering and Trekking Club, was the fifth Bangladeshi to stand on the summit of world’s highest mountain.
He had failed to scale the Everest peak on one previous occasion because of hostile weather. Not ready to concede, he made another attempt as he left for Nepal on Apr 11.
An engineer by training, he left behind a two-and-a-half-year-old son, Susmith, in a family of three. He hailed from Munshiganj’s Srinagar and was the youngest of six siblings.
His mountaineering career includes beating Mera Peak and Chulu West. He had translated a book on mountaineering by Edmund Viesturs in Bangla.
