March 25, 2024
DHAKA – There is growing hope for the swift release of the 23 crew members held captive by pirates on board the hijacked ship MV Abdullah.
Sources say that the company that owns the ship are making progress in their negotiations with the pirates via a third party.
According to experts who have long experience in the marine service, the pirates who hijacked the ship, now anchored very close to the Somali coast, were under pressure as European Union Naval Forces deployed warships in the vicinity of MV Abdullah, keeping it under close monitoring.
They assumed that the intermediary engaged by the ship’s owner would now try to take advantage of this situation, and if the negotiation went smoothly, the ship’s rescue could hopefully happen very soon.
Mizanul Islam, media adviser of KSRM Group, the parent company of SR Shipping, which owns the ship, said efforts were on to have the crewmen rescued unharmed within a short period of time.
He, however, declined to provide any additional information at this time to ensure a smooth rescue process.
Earlier, senior officials of KSRM Group assured family members of the crew that they are working diligently to secure the release of all the hostages very soon.
They met with family members of 23 crewmen and had iftar at a restaurant in Chattogram’s Agrabad area Saturday evening and urged them to be patient and while they complete the negotiation process.
On the same day, Foreign Minister Hasan Hamud said that the government was trying to rescue MV Abdullah and its crew members.
“Previously, when MV Jahan Moni was hijacked, it took 100 days to free the hostages. Now we are trying to free them [crew members] as soon as possible,” he added.
Captain Anam Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association said both the pirates and the ship’s owners have engaged parties who are well experienced in dealing with such negations.
“If talks continue it may not take a very long time to reach an agreement,” he hoped.