Bangladesh foils plane hijack attempt, detains sole gunman; passengers safe

Bangladesh security officials on Sunday foiled a hijacking attempt of a Dubai-bound plane, which made an emergency landing at a coastal city in the country following the incident, officials said.

Security forces stormed the plane and detained the lone hijacker and evacuated all the passengers safely, they said.

The state-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight BG-147, which was on its way to Dubai from Dhaka via Chattogram, landed at the Chattogram airport at around 5:40 pm.

Eyewitnesses said minutes after the craft flew from the Chattogram airport, it returned and made an emergency landing and opened the emergency exit through which the passengers disembarked immediately. The captain and the first officer of the flight also came out later.

 

Though the identity of the hijacker is yet to be known, according to unconfirmed reports the hijacker was a foreign national and was equipped with a handgun.

Army's General Officer Commanding the 24th Infantry Division and Chittagong Area Major General SM Matiur Rahman told reporters that the Bangladeshi man, identified as Mahadi, was in his mid-20s and was carrying a pistol.

Major General Rahman further divulged that the commandos had asked the hijacker to surrender during the raid but he rejected and attempted to retaliate, which led to a shootout inside the plane.

"The suspect was apprehended with gunshot injuries, but we have learned that he died later," he added.

The army official further stated that it took only eight minutes to successfully neutralise the hijacker.