Former BNP lawmaker Mofiqul Hasan Tripti was sent to Jessore jail yesterday following his arrest on charge of carrying loaded firearms inside airport.
Tripti went to the Jessore Airport around 8:00am to catch a Dhaka-bound flight of United Airlines and deposited a loaded revolver at the airline's counter, said Mahamudur Rahman, an official of the airlines.
“A bullet accidentally went out as I was checking it for security reason,” he said.
Nobody was hurt in the incident.
Munnujan Sufian, state minister for labour, manpower and employment and Awami League lawmakers Khalidur Rahman Tito, Mostafa Faruq Mohammad and Narayan Chandra were at the VIP lounge when the bullet went off. They were also to catch a flight to Dhaka.
Shafiullah, assistant police superintendent of Jessore, said the gun was licensed but Tripti broke the law by carrying a loaded gun in airport. Secondly, he could not explain as to why three of his 50 bullets were missing.
Also a former office secretary of Sharsa BNP, he was elected from Jessore -1 in the controversial election on February 15, 1996, which was boycotted by all major political parties including AL. He was expelled from BNP for his involvement with the so-called reformists during the immediate past caretaker government.
However, his elder brother Ariful Islam told The Daily Star over the phone that Tripti was unaware that his revolver was loaded.
“He was in a hurry, as his flight schedule was changed and he was not informed beforehand. The incident happened because he was busy,” Ariful said.