Chattogram Bureau :
In a heartening turn of events, the 23 sailors of MV Abdullah, who had been held captive by pirates in Somalia, finally set foot on the soil of their homeland on Tuesday.
They arrived at the Bandar Jetty area aboard the MV Jahan Mani ship, their faces illuminated with smiles of relief and gratitude.
With the assistance of three tugboats, MV Jahan Mani safely docked at NCT 1 jetty around 4 pm. Escalators was swiftly installed to facilitate the sailors’ disembarkation process. By 4:30 pm, one by one, the sailors stepped onto the NCT-1 jetty of Chittagong port, greeted by their emotional relatives who had eagerly awaited their return.
The scene was one of mixed emotions as tears of joy streamed down the faces of the sailors, their smiles serving as a testament to their resilience and the triumph of hope over adversity. Present at the time were esteemed dignitaries including CCC Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Port Chairman Rear Admiral M Sohail, KSRM Director, CEO, and senior officials of the port, all of whom extended their warmest welcomes to the returning heroes.
Earlier in the afternoon, the 23 sailors had embarked on the lighter vessel named ‘MV Jahan Moni 3’ unofficially from MV Abdullah, which had been anchored at Qutubdia outer anchorage. The Chittagong Port Authority orchestrated a hero’s welcome for the sailors upon their arrival at the port jetty.