Bangladesh Biman plane hijacker Polash acted alone: police probe

A police investigation into the hijacking of a Biman Bangladesh Airlines plane last year has found no other person than the slain suspect involved with the incident.

Chattogram Metropolitan Police’s Counterterrorism Unit submitted a 308-page final report to the court on Thursday seeking an end to the case proceedings.
 
Inspector Rajesh Barua, who investigated the case, told bdnews24.com that he recorded statements of 79 witnesses.
 
They included the crew members of the plane, passengers, law enforcers, besides the family members, friends and relatives of the lone suspect, Palash Ahmed.
 
Rajesh also attached security camera footage, audio tapes of conversations between the pilot and the control room and cartridges recovered from the scene.
 
On Feb 24 last year, an attempt was made to seize a Chattogram-bound Boeing-737 jet from Dhaka in mid-air.
 
After two tense hours, the hijacker died in a commando operation in Shah Amanat International Airport.
 
He was later identified as Polash, an ex-husband of film actress Shamsur Nahar Shimla.
 
The “gun” he wielded at the passengers and crew was a fake one, forensic tests confirmed.
 
The “suicide vest” was also a fake thing made of batteries, wires and tapes, police said.
 
The motive of his bid to hijack the plane was not clear but officials said he demanded to speak to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina “about his wife” while holding the pilot at “gun” point.