An attempted hijacking on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Dhaka to Dubai, via Chittagong, ended the evening of February 24 after local forces raided the aircraft and shot the suspect.
None of the 148 passengers and crew were harmed in the incident.
Flight BG147, a Boeing 737-800 (S2-AHV), departed the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka at around 4:30 p.m. local time for Chittagong when cabin crew soon reported a man displaying “suspicious behavior” and attempting to gain access to the cockpit about 20 min. into the flight. Pilots informed air traffic control before landing at Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport.
Unconfirmed reports said two shots were fired in the aircraft.
Chittagong Area Commander and Army 24th Infantry Division Major General SM Matiur Rahman told local reporters that after landing in Chittagong, the passengers were evacuated, and took the cabin crew hostage. The man was armed with a pistol and demanded to speak to the Prime Minister and his wife.
After negotiations, the local para-commando unit mounted an operation to arrest the man. Rahman said the man turned aggressive after the commandos asked him to surrender and was shot. He later died from his injuries.
Shah Amanat International Airport resumed operations at 9 p.m. local time after flights were suspended for four hours. A committee will be set up to investigate the incident and find out how a firearm was able to pass through security checks in Dhaka. Local media later reported it was a toy pistol.
Source: ATW
