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Hijacked Ship MV Abdullah Released from Somali Pirate Captivity
Bangladeshi cargo ship MV Abdullah and its 23 crew members, previously held hostage by Somali pirates, have been released.
KSRM media advisor Mizanul Islam confirmed the news at 3:45 am on Sunday. He informed the media, “We received the good news a while ago. Our ship with 23 sailors has been released. All 23 sailors are unharmed and in good health. We will hold a press conference at the KSRM headquarters at noon on Sunday to provide details.”
The Bangladeshi-flagged ship and its crew were freed after 31 days of captivity in the Indian Ocean, although the exact ransom amount remains undisclosed.
According to a Somali news outlet, MV Abdullah was released in exchange for $5 million (Tk 55 crore).
When questioned about the ransom payment, Mizanul responded, “I can’t disclose that at this moment. But we were able to negotiate the release of our ship and sailors.”
Meanwhile, the ship has departed Somalia and is en route to the United Arab Emirates, as confirmed by KSRM Group’s deputy managing director, Shahriar Jahan Rahat. He stated, “Our ship has left for the United Arab Emirates after being released.”
The incident occurred on March 12 at 1:30 pm Bangladesh time, when Somali pirates hijacked MV Abdullah while it was traveling from the port of Maputo, Mozambique, to the United Arab Emirates. The ship, carrying 55,000 tons of coal, had a crew of 23 Bangladeshis. It is owned by SR Shipping Limited, a subsidiary of Chattogram-based Kabir Group. The pirates subsequently took the vessel to the coast of Somalia.
Nine days after the hijacking, the pirates contacted the ship’s owner to demand ransom, initiating negotiations at various levels. The ship’s owner had hinted at the sailors’ potential release later in the month.
SR Shipping is one of the country’s leading shipping companies, operating ocean-going merchant ships. The bulk carrier MV Abdullah, with a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 45,653 tons, measures 185.74 meters in overall length (LOA) and 30.4 meters in width.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
