by Donald Wood
Last updated: 10:05 AM ET, Mon February 25, 2019
A passenger who attempted to hijack a plane Sunday in Bangladesh was shot and killed by special forces.
According to BBC.com, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight BG147 and the 148 passengers and crew members on board were en route from Dhaka to Dubai when the 25-year-old Mohammad Palash Ahmed reportedly took a crew member hostage and threatened to storm the cockpit.
The captain of the flight called for an emergency landing at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and brought the plane down safely despite passengers and crew members reporting the hijacker had a gun.
Once the flight landed Sunday night, it was immediately cordoned off and police officers attempted to talk to the suspect. When Palash Ahmed refused to comply with authorities, Bangladeshi special forces stormed the plane and shot the suspected hijacker.
While some reports claimed the man had a gun and explosives, it was discovered there were no explosives found and the weapon he was carrying was a toy. Following the shooting of Palash Ahmed, the remaining passengers disembarked the plane safely.
Local reports suggested the man may have been mentally ill and even asked to speak with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
While investigators figure out how the hijacker managed to get a toy gun through airport security, officials in Bangladesh have increased security measures at airports across the country.
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