Staff Reporter :
Stakeholders and concerned authorities of the government of Bangladesh have managed to establish some communication with the pirates who have hijacked the MV Abdullah, carrying 23 crewmen.
The source further revealed that the Bangladeshi-flag carrier MV Abdullah is currently positioned very close to the Somali coast.
“The ship is currently stationed very near to the coast of Somalia. Some communication has also been established with the pirates,” Commodore Mohammad Maksud Alam, Director General of the Department of Shipping, informed The New Nation on Monday.
However, he refrained from providing further details due to strategic reasons but assured that the matter would be resolved as soon as possible.
Earlier, the authorities of SR Shipping expressed their anticipation for a quick resolution of the MV Abdullah crisis.
They also mentioned that the pirates have not yet demanded any ransom to free the 23 crew members and the ship, which was hijacked in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday.
Additionally, the ship’s authorities mentioned that they are attempting to establish contact with the pirates through third parties to resolve the issue.
The authorities also emphasized the utmost importance of ensuring food and water supply for the crewmen, as their provisions may run out if not replenished quickly.
On the other hand, Meherul Karim, Chief Executive Officer of SR Shipping, told the media on Sunday that they are not opting for any military operation on MV Abdullah, fearing casualties among the crew members.
“The safety of our crew members is our top priority. We cannot risk the lives of our sailors, so we declined the proposal for a rescue operation,” he asserted.
He also mentioned that the ship’s captain communicated by satellite phone with the company on Sunday. “The Captain informed us that all the crew members are fine and the pirates are behaving well with the hostages,” he said.
