Published on 12:00 AM, March 05, 2019

Hijack Bid: Caab suspends five employees for negligence

Security personnel are seen surrounding a Boeing 737-800 of Biman during a standoff with a man who attempted to hijack the plane on February 24, 2019. Photo: Rajib Raihan
Staff Correspondent

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh has suspended five of its employees on charges of negligence in duty during the hijack attempt of a Biman aircraft on February 24.

Civil Aviation Secretary Mohibul Haque yesterday confirmed the development to The Daily Star.

The five were involved with the security checking of the passengers and their baggage that day, sources at the civil aviation ministry said.

They were deployed at the domestic terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). 

Actions were taken following scrutiny of CCTV camera footage at HSIA.

Sources said the five security staff, including a member of Airport Security Force, did not carry out their duties properly.

The action was taken in line with the primary findings of the probe body formed by the civil aviation ministry to investigate the hijack bid of BG-147.

“The deadline for submitting the probe report has been extended for seven more working days,” Mohibul also said.

According to the new deadline, the probe body is scheduled to submit its report by March 14.

On February 25, Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry formed a five-member probe committee headed by the ministry's Additional Secretary Md Mokabbir Hossain to investigate the incident.

The probe body couldn't take statements of all the parties involved in the incident, Mohibul said, adding that they have extended the deadline upon request made by the committee.

For example, the person who was supposed to check the body of Palash Ahmed, the alleged hijacker, did not ask him to deposit his waist belt while he was crossing the checkpoint, said a top official of the civil aviation ministry involved in the investigation process.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines made a “force landing” at Chattogram's Shah Amanat International Airport on February 24 evening after Palash, a passenger on the flight, attempted to hijack the plane.

He was killed later in an eight-minute operation by the members of the army's para-commando unit.

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