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.
