March 15, 2024
DHAKA – The hostages on board the hijacked Bangladesh-flagged ship were taken to their cabins from the bridge after the pirates anchored the vessel at the Somali coast of Garacad yesterday morning.
At least three crew members of MV Abdullah told this when they made phone calls and sent voice messages to their family members and colleagues at the ship-owning firm yesterday afternoon.
Soon after taking control of the ship in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday, the pirates confined the 23 crew members to the bridge, the wheelhouse from where ships are operated.
The ship was at the outer anchorage of the Somali port of Garacad, around 7 nautical miles off the coast, as of 7:48pm (Bangladesh time) yesterday, said Shakawat Hossain, general secretary of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association.
Rear Admiral (retd) Khurshed Alam, secretary of Maritime Affairs Unit at the foreign ministry, said, “The ship anchored at the Somali coast at dawn.”
The pirates have yet to make any demand for ransom and they have made no contact with the government, he told reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting.
One of the hostages called his mother using a satellite phone around 4:40pm and said the captors let the crew members go to their cabins and cook.
He also informed that the individuals who hijacked the ship had left, and another group got on board.
“My son said he was fine and told me not to worry. He asked me to stay in touch with his employers,” the mother told The Daily Star.
Her son also informed that pirates may allow them to stay in cabins until the evening.
Another hostage contacted SR Shipping, the owner of the vessel, around 6:00pm and said everyone was fine, said Mizanul Islam, media adviser of KSRM Group, the parent company of SR Shipping.
“The pirates have reached their safe zone. They may contact us soon. We also have communication with different third parties to make contacts with the pirates,” he said.
It may take a few more days to get the first response from the pirates, he said, adding that KSRM would take the steps necessary to negotiate with the pirates and ensure the safe return of the crew.
Another crew member in a voice message sent to his younger brother yesterday afternoon narrated how distressing it was for the hostages confined to the bridge for two days. All of them slept on the floor and used the only bathroom at the bridge.
“We are physically well, but a little bit distressed. So far, the pirates had not hurt anyone,” he said.
But the ordeal is putting pressure on his nerves, he said.
“When you know a big gun is pointed at you all the time, it’s not a good feeling, to say the least,” he added.