Gunman trying to hijack Biman aircraft killed

A man suspected of attempting to hijack a Biman Bangladesh airliner was killed in a commando operation by the army personnel at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram on Sunday evening.

The alleged hijacker was Mahadi, the general officer commanding of Chattogram cantonment told newsmen, attributing to a crewmember of the aircraft.

The hijacker held a crewmember, flight steward Sagor, hostage for hours at gun point before being killed by the commandoes, according to a press statement of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) department.

He was shot inside the aircraft which was cordoned off immediately after its emergency landing there. He was brought out dead after the operation, said the GOC, major general Motiur Rahman.

UNB reports: All the 142 passengers and pilots of the Dubai-bound flight from Dhaka earlier disembarked safely from the aircraft, said Shakil Miraj, Biman general manager (public relations).

He said the Dubai-bound flight took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after 5:00pm and it made landing at the Chattogram airport around 5:40pm.

Biman manager (PR) Tasmin Akhter said the flight made the emergency landing suspecting a passenger to be a hijacker.

Tasmin, however, said it was not still clear whether it was a hijacking bid.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion, Bangladesh Army and the police had then cordoned off the aircraft.

Officer-in-charge of Patenga police station in Chattogram Abul Quashem said two bullets were fired in the aircraft.

Contacted, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said around 7:10pm that they were still not clear what actually happened in the aircraft.

Earlier, civil aviation and tourism secretary Mohibul Haque told UNB all the passengers were evacuated from the aircraft following the suspicious behaviour of a passenger.