A Bangladeshi man was sentenced to 20 months in jail after attempting to set himself on fire at the Bangladeshi High Commission, following a mistaken belief that his newly renewed passport would prevent him from returning to Singapore.
On May 23, 2025, 32-year-old Shamim Nazrul Islam drove his rental lorry at high speed into a wall of the Jit Poh building on Keppel Road, which houses the High Commission. The collision dislodged the lorry’s front bumper and drew the attention of nearby pedestrians. Shortly after, Shamim stormed into the fourth-floor office carrying a lighter and a tin can filled with petrol, threatening to set himself on fire if his demands were not met.
Court documents revealed that Shamim had compared his new passport with friends’ and believed his was fake. Staff members assured him that his passport was valid until 2033, but he refused to accept their explanation. “He was upset over a self-perceived problem with his passport and refused to accept the reasonable explanations by the High Commission staff,” the statement of facts read.
Shamim began pouring petrol on the office floor while holding a lighter, but a staff member quickly intervened to stop him, and security officers subdued him until police arrived. He was arrested the same day and held in remand until sentencing.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jini Pillai had sought a 24-month jail term, citing the serious risk to pedestrians and building occupants. Shamim pleaded guilty to one charge of mischief and one of mischief by fire. The first charge, for crashing the lorry, carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both, while the second, for mischief by fire, carries a maximum of 10 years in jail or a fine.
