Attempt to hijack Dubai-bound plane in Bangladesh foiled, suspect killed

Dhaka, Feb 24: A Biman Bangladesh Airlines plane en route to Dubai from Dhaka made an emergency landing at the Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong following a hijacking attempt.

The armed suspect was later killed in an exchange of fire with Army commandos.

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 aircraft 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.

"There were 142 passengers and all of them have come out from the aircraft safely," an officer told Reuters.

The hijacker was armed and opened fire during the incident, a local legislator who was on the plane told Somoy TV.

"He fired a shot. When the pilot pursued him, he said he wanted to talk to the prime minister," the witness said.

Bangladeshi politicans Moin Uddin Khan Badal told the Dhaka Tribune that he was on board the plane and he heard a gunshot. He also said hijacker had demanded to speak to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.