Teenager arrested after panic attack aboard Dhaka-bound flight

A minor has been thrown off a Dhaka-bound US-Bangla flight at Jessore airport and later arrested after showing frantic behaviour on board. The 14-year-old girl, whom the Dhaka Tribune would not name because of her age, suddenly started screaming and demanded to get down as soon as the aircraft started its run on the tarmac before taking off at 7:30pm Saturday, according to Azmal Huda, officer-in-charge (OC) of Jessore Kotwali police station. State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, and Awami League central leader Jahangir Kabir were also on board. The state minister and the Awami League leaders took that flight after attending a scheduled public rally of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Khulna Saturday. The pilot stopped the plane immediately as other passengers in the plane started to panic. The teenager was allowed to leave the plane and later handed over to police for questioning, confirmed the OC. The plane finally took off from Jessore airport after half an hour delay. Sabir Hossain Tutul, manager of US-Bangla Airlines in Jessore, said during preliminary questioning at the airport, she admitted that she only screamed after her boyfriend, who was in the airport neighbourhood, called her on the phone.