Investigators have located the family of Mohammed Palash Ahmed alias Mahadi, who was killed by security forces after attempting to hijack a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight on Sunday. The motives behind Palash’s hijacking attempt are yet to be discovered.
Palash’s family members described him as an unruly and rebellious youth, who had become disconnected from them. Although he had quit his studies at the higher secondary level, he loved to introduce himself as a student of Dhaka University.
Palash used to live in Dhaka, while his family lives and runs a grocery shop in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj. His family said they have no idea what he used to do in Dhaka, but had heard that he was involved in acting.
They added that Palash would regularly request financial assistance, most recently borrowing 500 UAE Dirhams from his father Piyar Jahan on Friday after saying he was leaving Bangladesh for Dubai.
“What he has done is embarrassing for us. We do not want to see him again. The hijacking incident has left his mother bedridden. We will have a discussion about his body later,” his father said.
Doctors at Chattogram Medical College Hospital conducted an autopsy on Palash’s body yesterday afternoon, but did not want to reveal details to the press. Sources said he sustained a bullet injury in his abdomen.
A fake explosive vest and firearm that may also be fake were recovered from Palash’s body.
Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation Authority Chairman Naim Hassan told reporters Palash seemed mentally unstable based on his behavior on the plane.
A stint in jail
According to Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Palash’s fingerprint matched with records in RAB’s criminal database as he had been arrested in connection with an abduction case and served 20 days in jail before securing bail in 2012.
The 25-year-old had studied at Taherpur Senior Madrassa in Narayanganj, and passed SSC level examinations.
RAB Legal and Media Wing Director Mufti Mahmud Khan told the Dhaka Tribune: “He has a prior criminal record from an arrest seven years ago. He was arrested with an accomplice for abducting a teenager. They had asked for Tk800,000 in ransom.”
“A case was filed against him on February 22, 2012. The police rescued the victim of the kidnapping a little over a month later, on March 24. Palash was in jail for 20 days before he was let out on bail," the RAB spokesperson said.
He added that RAB had no information on any criminal activity by Palash from 2012 till the hijacking attempt.
Quoting a police officer in Palash’s home district, the New York Times reported that he was a conman who would take money from people by promising to secure jobs for them abroad.
Married to an actress?
Palash’s family members said he visited their home with film actress Shimla about 10 months ago, saying she had wanted to visit the area. Two months later, the family learned that the two had gotten married.
After the marriage, Palash visited his family less regularly and would spend most of his time in Dhaka. However, he recently returned home and stayed there for 15 days.
Palash did not have a national identity card, but he had a Facebook profile under the name Mahibi Jahan. The account listed Shimla as his wife and included a number of photos of the two, while identifying Palash as an IT Business Analyst for British Airways who lived in the UK.
Shimla could not be reached for comment, despite repeated attempts to contact her.
“Palash was married once before, and has a child from that marriage, but got divorced,” his father said.
His family members also said they were not aware of any links between Palash and militant groups.
“A team from Sonargaon police station visited my home around 1am yesterday, and searched my residence. The police left us alone after that. Palash was the youngest of my four children.”
