Bangladesh: Emergency Landing after Attempted Hijacking

A passenger flight on its way to Dubai was forced to make an emergency landing in Chittagong, Bangladesh Sunday after an attempted hijacking.

The suspect, a 25-year-old Bangladeshi, had entered the cockpit with a pistol and demanded to speak with the prime minister. He claimed he had a bomb.

Airline officials, who initially suspected the gun was a toy, told the man they were taking him to see the prime minister.

The suspect was shot and killed at the international airport in Chittagong after firing his pistol at law enforcement. 

“There was no other way out,” said Major General Motiur Rahman. “Our commandos had to act swiftly.”

One commando described the suspect as a “terrorist,” but other sources say he was a depressed individual suffering from marital problems.

No terrorist groups have claimed responsibility for the incident.

All 147 passengers and 7 crew aboard the plane made it out safely.

Author’s Note: While this obviously was not a 9/11 style attack, the incident calls into question the security measures in Bangladesh. A man with a pistol was able to board a plane, enter the cockpit, and make demands. I would hope in the United States he would have been caught by TSA long before boarding.

Editor’s Note: Did we not fix these vulnerabilities before? How does a man get on an airplane with a gun at any airport in the world? How does he get access to the cockpit, are they not supposed to be reinforced against entry?  If airplanes are not properly secured in any airport in the world, then they are not secure for America either.