‘Palash fell out with his family’

Palash Ahmed, who was killed in a commando operation for an alleged attempt to hijack a Dubai-bound aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram on Sunday, had strained relationships with his family.

His father Pear Jahan Sardar said this while speaking to Prothom Alo at their village home at Dudhghata village of Pirojpur union at Sonargaon in Narayanganj on Monday.

Pear confirmed the identity of his son last night (Sunday). "The police came to me with his photo at midnight," he said.

Hundreds of villagers gathered at their one-story building.

Pear said he was in Saudi Arabia for long. After returning from the oil-rich nation, he now runs a shop in the locality. His wife is Renu Begum. They have four children. Palash is second, their only son.

Palash passed Dakhil from local Taherpur Senior Madrasa in 2011 and then got admitted to Sonargaon University College. On completion of the first year, however, he discontinued his study, Pear said of his son.

“Palash turned disobedient and left home. He stayed in Dhaka. I didn't know what he did in Dhaka. He hardly visited home. I came to know from locals that Palash sang and acted in the capital,” added Pear.

He said Palash visited home twice one month before last Eid-ul-Azha. Film actress Simla accompanied him. Palash told his parents that he got married to Simla.

“As we objected to the marriage, Simla and Palash left home on the day of their arrival,” Pear Jahan said.

He also said Palash recently stayed at his village home for 15 days at a stretch. He told his parents that he would go to Dubai. "We didn't oppose. Palash left home last Friday.”

Palash had no national identity card. He had a Facebook account named Mahibi Jahan although his name was Palash Ahmed, Pear added.

Pear Jahan identified him from photos posted on his Facebook.

His mother Renu Begum was released from a local hospital on Sunday after she had suffered a stroke. She fainted hearing the news of her son.

The body of Palash was kept at the morgue of Chattogram Medical College Hospital for autopsy. His father, however, said he was not willing to receive the body. "I don't want to receive his body as he worked against the country."

Sonargaon police station sub-inspector Abul Kalam Azad said they received a photo of Palash from Dhaka on Sunday night.

Palash had not been implicated in any cases with the local police station.

Meanwhile, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have claimed that their criminal database shows Palash as a listed criminal.

RAB said that the fingerprints of the young man killed in the commando attack matches that of a criminal appearing in their database.

• This report, originally published in Prothom Alo Bangla online, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam