Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
Whether the pistol recovered from the slain youth during Sunday’s failed attempt of hijacking a Biman aircraft was a real or a toy one is still a mystery.
Investigators and Civil Aviation State Minister and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman didn’t reveal anything about it while briefing the pressmen at the VIP Lounge at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday afternoon.
“It isn’t known yet whether the pistol that was possessed by killed youth, was a real or a toy. Today we are still trying to understand the situation. Investigators are also investigating the incident”, Civil Aviation and Tourism State Minister Mahabub Ali told the reporters in the briefing.
When he was asked about ‘shooting’ at the Biman aircraft claimed by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), the State Minister said: “We don’t know it”.
State Minister for Aviation Md Mahbub Ali and the CAAB have not been able to answer questions about how a hijacker identified on RAB’s criminal watchlist was able to pass thorough airport security with a pistol board the plane.
State Minister Md Mahbub Ali and CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Naim Hassan both on Monday said they were waiting for the investigation report which would be submitted after five days when the confusion will be recovered.
He did not harm any passenger or crew member, but had demanded to talk to the prime minister as well as his own wife. However, Palash was killed in a confrontation with the security forces.
A four-member probe panel led by Jonendra Nath Sarkar, Joint Secretary of the ministry, has been formed to probe the hijacking incident, said Tanvir Ahmed, Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the ministry.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Monday claimed to have revealed the identity of the suspected hijacker.
As per the information of the database, the dead was identified as Polash Ahmed, son of Piar Jahan Sardar, hailed from Pirojpur in Sonargaon of Narayanganj district.
Earlier, the airport authorities said the man gave his identity to an aircraft crew as Mahadi.
“Palash has a prior criminal record from an arrest seven years ago. He was arrested with an accomplice for abducting a teenager. The abductors asked for Tk 800,000 in ransom. A case had been filed against him on February 22 in 2012. The police rescued the victim of kidnapping a little over a month on March 24. Palash was in jail for 20 days before he was let out on bail,” the RAB spokesperson said.
According to the passenger records of the flight, Palash booked a Dhaka-Chittagong flight on the plane. His seat number was 17A, the RAB official said.
Bullet mark is on the right side of the abdomen, said Zahidul Islam, assistant commissioner (Patenga zone) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police, yesterday.
There is no hole in the back, suggesting that the alleged hijacker was shot only once from the front, our local staff correspondent reported quoting him.
The body was handed over to Patenga Police Station.
“Only the body has been handed over to police. No evidence or anything else has been handed over,” said Zahidul Islam. He said , a decisive conclusion will be obtained after autopsy.
Palash’s father Piyar Jahan, a grocery shop owner, spoke about his son on Monday, “Palash studied in Taherpur Madrasa and Sonargaon Degree College. He quit his studies before passing the HSC exam. He got married twice with Actress Simla and Meghla. Meghla gave birth to a baby but divorced Palash due his unruly manner.”
“On February 22, Palash demanded from me to give him 500 UAE Dirhams, stating that he was planning to leave Bangladesh for Dubai. I gave him the money,” his father said. Discussing his son’s childhood, Piyar said: “Palash was an unruly child, and continued to disobey me after growing up. We were not on talking terms. Around ten months ago, he visited home with film actress Simla. Later, I learned that they are married.
“I tried to raise him well, but he was disobedient and rebellious. I would not like to receive the body of black sheep son for funereal,” the father said.
