MV Abdullah. Photo: Collected
The pirates who had hijacked the Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah with 23 crew contacted the owners of the vessel for the first time after nine days on Wednesday (20 March).
Mizanul Islam, a media adviser of KSRM Group, said, "The pirates contacted us this afternoon but they did not demand anything."
We have talked about the crew and the ship in general. Now the environment for discussion has been created. We hope that a solution will be found. They informed us that all the crew members are safe and sound. There will be no torture on them. They will again contact us, he said.
The demand may be made during future discussions, Mizanul added.
Captain Anam Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association (BMMOA), said it is a positive sign that they have started communication.
"I hope the owners and insurers will negotiate with the pirates to reach an agreement," he added.
MV Abdullah is owned by SR Shipping Lines – a sister company of Chattogram-based Kabir Steel and Rerolling Mill (KSRM) Group.
On Mar 12, a group of Somalian pirates seized control of the Bangladesh-flagged cargo vessel when it was carrying coal from Mozambique’s Maputo port to Al Hamriyah Port in the UAE along the Indian Ocean. The 23 sailors who were on board the ship during the incident are all Bangladeshi. Once it was hijacked, the vessel reached the coast of Somalia on Mar 14 under the control of the pirates. Its location has since changed.
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