Singapore jails man 20 months for ramming lorry into Bangladeshi High Commission, attempted fire

SINGAPORE: A 32-year-old man was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment on 8 January after ramming a rented lorry into a building housing the Bangladeshi High Commission and attempting to start a fire inside the premises.

Shamim Nazrul Islam pleaded guilty to one count of mischief and another count of mischief by fire, local media reported.

Court records showed that Shamim drove the rented lorry to Jit Poh Building along Keppel Road at about 9.20am on 23 May 2025. The building houses the Bangladeshi High Commission.

He entered a lane leading to the loading bay and barrelled the vehicle towards a wall where several pedestrians were standing. The lorry crashed into the wall, dislodging its front bumper.

After the collision, Shamim exited the vehicle and entered the High Commission carrying a tin can filled with petrol.

Attempt to Set Himself on Fire

Inside the High Commission, a staff member heard a commotion at the reception area and saw Shamim shouting. When approached, Shamim told the staff member that he would not be able to return to Singapore if he left the country.

The staff member checked Shamim’s passport and found no issues, noting that it was valid until 2033. Shamim refused to accept the passport when it was returned and continued causing a disturbance.

A second staff member later attempted to de-escalate the situation and reviewed the passport again, assuring Shamim that there were no issues and that a supervisor was on the way. Shamim remained hostile and unappeased.

He then threatened to set himself on fire, uncapped the tin of petrol and poured it onto the floor while holding a lighter in his other hand.

Before he could ignite the fuel, a staff member pushed him away. Security officers subsequently subdued him before the police arrived.

Prosecution’s Case

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Jini Pillai told the court that Shamim later said he wanted to burn himself because the High Commission staff did not accede to his demands, though court documents did not state what those demands were.

Shamim was arrested and charged on 24 May 2025 and has remained in remand since.

DPP Jini sought a jail term of at least 24 months, highlighting that Shamim’s act of swerving the lorry posed a real risk of injury to pedestrians near the point of impact. She also noted that there was some degree of premeditation, as Shamim had arrived with a tin of petrol.

While there was no evidence of political or ulterior motives, she said Shamim had become upset over a self-perceived issue and refused to accept reasonable explanations from staff.

“The accused’s intentions were to self-immolate rather than necessarily to set fire to the High Commission building. However, he necessarily would have known that he would endanger the commission staff he was interacting with,” DPP Jini said.

She acknowledged that no damage was caused to the building and no injuries were reported, but stressed that this was due to the “fortuitous and brave intervention” of High Commission staff.

Mitigation Plea

In mitigation, Shamim’s lawyer said his client had been working in Singapore for a long time and was planning to return home to visit his family.

He had recently renewed his passport and received it a few days before the incident. After comparing it with his friends’ passports, he became convinced that his passport was not authentic and went to the High Commission to seek verification.

“He was concerned about returning to Singapore and wanted to ensure that the passport would not give him any problems. But things went out of control,” the lawyer said, adding that Shamim was remorseful and had accepted responsibility for his actions.

An offender convicted of mischief can be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both. Mischief by fire carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.