Man crashes lorry into building along Keppel Road as he thought Bangladesh passport had issues
A 32-year-old Bangladeshi man believed there were problems with his passport, so he crashed a lorry into the building housing the Bangladesh High Commission.
He also poured petrol on the floor, intending to light a fire there, reported The Straits Times (ST).
Source: Google Maps
Man drove lorry into wall of Jit Poh Building
According to court records seen by ST, Shamim drove a rented lorry to Jit Poh Building along Keppel Road at about 9.20am on 23 May 2025.
After entering a lane leading to the loading bay, he barrelled the lorry towards a wall near several pedestrians.
Source: Google Maps
The subsequent crash dislodged the lorry’s front bumper, but no injuries were reported.
Man insists passport had issues despite staff assuring him
After the crash, Shamim got out of the vehicle and entered the Bangladesh High Commission in the building, carrying a tin can filled with petrol.
A staff member who heard him shouting at the reception tried to help, and was told by Shamim that his newly renewed passport had issues.
He had arrived at this conclusion after comparing his new passport with his friends’ passports and becoming convinced that his was not authentic.
Source: Moin Uddin on Flickr. Photo for illustration purposes only.
He told the staff member that he was afraid that if he left Singapore, he would not be able to return.
When the staff member checked Shamim’s passport, he found no issues, noting that it was valid until 2033.
But Shamim refused to accept the passport when he tried to return it to him, insisting there was something wrong with it.
Another staff member later tried to calm him down and again assured him that his passport was valid, also adding that a supervisor would help him.
Man pours petrol on floor, threatening to set himself on fire
Unappeased, Shamim said he would set himself on fire.
He then uncapped the tin and poured petrol onto the floor while holding a lighter in his other hand.
Before a fire could be started, a staff member pushed him away. Security officers subdued him before the police arrived.
He later told the police that he wanted to burn himself because the High Commission staff did not accede to his demands.
He has been in remand since he was arrested and charged on 24 May 2025.
Prosecution notes that his actions could’ve harmed others
Appearing in court on 8 Jan, Shamim pleaded guilty to one charge of mischief and another of mischief by fire.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jini Pillai sought a jail term of at least 24 months, noting that his act of crashing the lorry posed a real risk of injury to pedestrians.
She also said that his attempted self-immolation was premeditated as he had brought petrol with him.
This was because of a self-perceived problem, of which he refused to accept the High Commission staff’s explanations.
While no injuries or damage were caused, this was due to the “fortuitous and brave intervention” of staff, she noted, adding:
He necessarily would have known that he would endanger the commission staff he was interacting with.
Accused is remorseful, lawyer says
Shamim’s lawyer, on the other hand, said his client had worked in Singapore for many years and was planning to return home to visit his family.
As he was concerned about not being able to return to Singapore, he wanted to make sure his passport would not have any problems, the lawyer noted, adding:
But things went out of control.
Shamim is remorseful over his action, having accepted that what he did was wrong, the lawyer also said.
He was eventually sentenced to 20 months in prison.
Offenders convicted of mischief can be jailed for up to two years and/or fined. Mischief by fire carries a jail term of up to 10 years or a fine.
Also read: Man arrested after driving lorry into building along Keppel Road, suspected of drug abuse
Man arrested after driving lorry into building along Keppel Road, suspected of drug abuse
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Moin Uddin on Flickr and Google Maps. Photo on the left for illustration purposes only.
