A bomb threat sent via WhatsApp from a Pakistani number, targeting Biman Bangladesh Airlines' flight BG-356 from Rome to Dhaka, prompted an immediate security operation, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Wednesday (22 January).
According to an official statement shared on DMP’s verified Facebook page, the message was received at 4:37am on the Airport Armed Police Battalion (APBn) duty officer’s WhatsApp.
The threat claimed the aircraft carried 34 kilograms of high-grade explosives.
Upon receiving the alert, a joint operation by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, bomb disposal experts, and the K9 unit was launched to secure the situation.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines later confirmed in a press release that a comprehensive search of the aircraft revealed no evidence of explosives.
All passengers safely disembarked, and normalcy resumed by 1:30pm.
The Rome-Dhaka flight landed safely at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9:20am, following its departure from Italy the previous evening.
Before the aircraft’s arrival, airport authorities were informed of the potential threat.
Following protocol, the plane was immediately secured upon landing.
Passengers, their luggage, and the aircraft itself underwent thorough inspections.
By 12:30pm, the threat was officially declared a false alarm.
The flight had 250 passengers and 13 crew members onboard, airport sources revealed.
The incident, while disrupting operations, was managed without harm to passengers or crew.
Authorities are investigating the origin of the WhatsApp message to identify those responsible for the hoax.
