We are being taken to Somalia

On Wednesday (March 13) around 11 am, one of the sailors, Ibrahim Khalilullah, sent a voice message to his nephew informing current situation on the beleaguered ship.

He said "We are being taken to Somalia. We will reach there tomorrow. As per the talk, we will be handed over to another party.”

Some 23 Bangladeshi sailors and crew are hostages on board the Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah, which was captured by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday around 1 pm Bangladesh time. The ship was en route to the United Arab Emirates with coal from the African country of Mozambique when it was hijacked by pirates.

As of 10:30 am Wednesday, the MV Abdullah was about 275 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. The ship may be anchored at a port in Somalia within the next 24 to 30 hours.

MV Abdullah was sailing from Mozambique’s capital Maputo to the United Arab Emirates when it was attacked in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday.

General Secretary of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association (BMMOA) Mohammad Shakhawat Hossain confirmed the matter.

"Pirates have their own channels," he said. Some groups are divided and do this work. Those who hijacked the ship would take it to the port of Somalia and hand it over to another party.

The sailors informed the authorities that they had only 20 to 25 day of food and 200mt of fresh water in the ship. However, there is concern about the 55,000 tons of coal being transported in the ship as it is flammable.

The Chief Officer of the ship Atiqullah Khan informed the officials of SR Shipping, the owner of the ocean-going vessel, in an audio message. He cleverly sent this message when pirates were taking control of the MV Abdullah in the Indian Ocean.

Atiqullah Khan said, 'There are approximately 20-25 days of provision (logistics) sir. There are 200 metric tons of fresh water. We are already asking everyone to use fresh water safely. We will handle the provision (logistics) as well.’

Expressing concern about the 55,000 tons of coal in the ship, he said, 'We have a problem, our ship has a coal cargo with 55000 tons of coal which is a dangerous cargo. Its methane concentration is increasing. The last oxygen level was 9-10 percent. It takes regular updates. In case of an increase, expert advice will be required.”

International naval forces have been diverted north from the Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea, leading to fears that pirates will exploit the security gap.

MV Abdullah is a vessel owned by SR Shipping, the country's top industrial group KSRM. Its length is 189.93 meters and its width is 32.26 meters. The bulk carrier 'Golden Hawk' was later renamed 'MV Abdullah' after it joined the fleet of KSRM Group of Bangladesh.

“We are in contact with the owner. So far, no such message has come. Observing their steps closely. I am giving utmost importance to the safety of Bangladeshi sailors," said Mohammad Shakhawat Hossain.

Shahriar Jahan Rahat, deputy managing director of KSRM Group, told the Daily Messenger “The Company’s highest priority is to rescue the 23 abducted crew who are currently confined in the ship.”

Efforts are underway to rescue the crew of MV Abdullah, which has been seized by Somalian pirates, said State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury.

Somali pirates caused chaos in global waterways for a decade from about 2008 to 2018.

However, the time required to rescue them cannot be ascertained now, the state minister told journalists at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

The captors are not ordinary people, they are pirates said Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury while adding "There are some organisations who can contact the pirates. We are bound to rescue the crew and ship at any cost," he added.

Meanwhile, authorities concerned said it might take days before an operation can be launched to rescue the hijacked ship and its crew.