Bangladesh foils plane hijack attempt, passengers safe

Dhaka, February 24

Bangladesh commandos on Sunday killed an armed man, who allegedly made a foiled bid to hijack a Dubai-bound flight of the state-run Biman Airlines carrying 148 passengers, the army said.

The flight, en route Dubai from Dhaka via Chattogram, made an emergency landing at the Shah Amanat International Airport in the coastal city of Chattogram following the hijack bid. 

Army, Navy and elite police cordoned off the plane soon after it landing. All passengers, pilots and crew members were evacuated safely.

According to army Major General Matiur Rahman, the suspect, a Bangladeshi national identified as Mahadi, refused to surrender when asked to, forcing “the commandos to go for action (firing)”, which “lasted eight minutes”. 

“He (hijacker) succumbed to his wounds after the military commandos captured him (with gun shots),” Rahman told a media briefing at Chattogram airport, adding that the suspect was carrying a gun.

Air force’s Chattgram base commander Air Vice Marshal Mufidur Rahman, who was also present at the media briefing, said he kept the hijacker engaged in talks while special forces units prepared for the raid. — PTI