Bangladesh Forces Kill Plane Hijack Suspect in Eight-Minute Raid

Feb 24 2019, 1:37 PMFeb 24 2019, 5:51 PMFebruary 24 2019, 1:37 PMFebruary 24 2019, 5:51 PM

(Bloomberg) -- Bangladesh security forces shot and killed an armed man who attempted to hijack a Biman Bangladesh Airlines plane bound for Dubai from Dhaka on Sunday.

The commando raid “was a swift operation that ended in eight minutes,” Major General Matiur Rahman said at a media briefing at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram.

The suspect had demanded to speak with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said.

The raid took place after security forces surrounded the plane on the tarmac, Somoy TV reported. The jet made an emergency landing around 5:40 pm local time in the southeastern port city, near Chittagong, after the suspect warned that he had a gun, the BBC reported. All passengers and crew on board flight BG147 disembarked safely, the BBC said.