Man with toy gun shot and killed on plane in Bangladesh

by Eben Gourlay
edited by Trent Dunn

(Photo: BBC)

A Bangladesh plane passenger who was shot dead by police was carrying a toy gun, according to the BBC.

On Monday morning, February 24th, 25 year old Mohammad Palash Ahmed threatened to storm the cockpit while holding a crew member hostage. The man was reportedly “psychologically imbalanced” and wanted to talk to the prime minister. He was shot and killed by police, but no passengers or Birman Airlines crew members were harmed.  

The plane was taking off from Dhaka and heading towards Dubai, but landed at the Shah Amanat International airport in Chittagong as special forces stormed the plane to stop the hijacker. An army official from the incident, Maj. Gen. Motiur Rahman said, “We tried to arrest him or get him to surrender but he refused and then we shot him.”

In a statement released by Chittagong police commissioner Kusum Dewan, it was reported that the suspect was carrying a toy pistol and had no explosives on him. The hijacker was wounded by the shooting before later dying from his injuries. He wanted to talk to the prime minister because of troubles with his wife.

Increased security measures have been taken at airports in Bangladesh as a result of the incident.