Staff Reporter :
The Bangladeshi flagship vessel MV Abdullah, which was held captive by Somali pirates for over a month, has finally entered the Bay of Bengal and is expected to reach Kutubdia on May 13th. The ship’s 23 crew members were also freed after the pirates reportedly received a ransom.
Officials from the privately owned vessel’s operator, Kabir Group, confirmed the news on Saturday. Media focal person Mizanul Islam stated that MV Abdullah entered Bangladeshi waters on Thursday and is likely to dock at Kutubia on Monday.
The ship will unload some limestone cargo there before proceeding to Chattogram port.
While the exact arrival schedule of the crew is yet to be determined, previous indications suggested the possibility of them reaching Chattogram before the ship reaches Kutubia. The ship’s owner had earlier estimated a return date of May 12th.
According to data from the Maritime Traffic Monitoring Agency, MV Abdullah’s location was confirmed near Sri Lanka in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday night.
The ordeal began on March 12th when the ship, carrying coal from Mozambique to Dubai, was hijacked by pirates approximately 600 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia.
The pirates held the vessel and its crew captive at gunpoint for 33 days before releasing them on April 13th, reportedly after a ransom was paid. The ship was then permitted to sail towards Dubai.
On April 30th, MV Abdullah departed Mina Saqr port in the UAE and took on fuel at a nearby port before setting sail for its home port of Chattogram.
600 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. The pirates held the vessel and its crew captive at gunpoint for 33 days before releasing them on April 13th, reportedly after a ransom was paid. The ship was then permitted to sail towards Dubai.
On April 30th, MV Abdullah departed Mina Saqr port in the UAE and took on fuel at a nearby port before setting sail for its home port of Chattogram.