People eat traditional winter cakes known as "Pitha" at a roadside stall in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Dec. 7, 2019. (Xinhua/Stringer)

Bangladesh's first women's body-building championship was won by a 19-year-old student in a contest where most of her muscle was covered up to prevent controversy in the Muslim-majority nation.

While skimpy bikinis are the norm at international body-building contests, Awhona Rahman and her 29 competitors kept their brawn under wraps in front of the crowd of hundreds.

Rahman and the other competitors struck poses on stage wearing tight leggings and body-hugging outfits during the three-day event that finished on Sunday and was held in the capital Dhaka.

"It never entered my mind that someone might criticize me for showing my body. My brother, who runs a fitness center, has always encouraged me,"Rahman told AFP.

"We were told there would be proper dress code and the outfit provided was perfect."

Bangladesh Bodybuilding Federation general secretary Nazrul Islam said there had been a huge response to the landmark women's competition which aimed to encourage health and fitness. 

AFP