Biman awards crew for bravery in dealing with ‘hijack attempt’
Biman yesterday awarded the seven cockpit and cabin crew members of flight BG-147, which was allegedly exposed to a hijack threat on February 24 on its way to Dubai from Dhaka.
The national flag carrier honoured them for their courage and quick thinking during the alleged hijack bid at a ceremony at Balaka, its head-quarters, at the capital’s Kurmitola.
Biman’s two IT employees were also awarded for their courage in putting out a fire at the carrier’s data centre.
Biman’s Managing Director and CEO Capt Farhat Hasan Jamil distrib-uted the awards and crests as the chief guest, said a Biman press release.
The Dubai-bound Boeing 737-800 aircraft made an emergency landing at Hazrat Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram after pas-senger Polash Ahmed allegedly attempted to hijack the plane.
The pilots and other crew members had tackled the situation with bravery and intelligence, the release said. The alleged hijacker was killed in an eight-minute operation by law enforcement agencies on the tarmac.
The awardees are: Capt Md Golam Shafi, First Officer Muntasir Mahbub, flight stewardess Sharifa Begum Ruma, flight steward Saheduzzaman Sagar, Md Abdus Sakur Mozahid, Purser Shafika Nasim Nimmi, Junior Purser Hosne Ara, Assistant System Administrator Tapu Barua and Senior Data Processing Assistant Zahirul Alam Chowdhury.
Describing his experience, Capt Shafi said after receiving the message from the cabin crew, he realised that the aircraft had been hijacked.
“After landing we talked to him [the alleged hijacker] and asked about his demands. He said he wanted to talk to the prime minister,” the captain said, adding that the memories of the ordeal still haunt him.
Flight steward Sagar said, “I saw a bomb-like object in his left hand and a pistol in right hand. He threatened to shoot.”
Comments