After nearly 32 days of being held captive, Somali pirates have released the hijacked Bangladesh-flagged ship, MV Abdullah, along with its 23 crew members. The news was confirmed by both the owner, Kabir Group, and the family members of the crew, reports Daily Sun.

Kabir Group Media Adviser Mizanul Islam said they will disclose details at a press conference at their office at 12pm Sunday.

Sources preferring anonymity said the ship and the crew were released after US dollars in the form of ransom were airdropped from a helicopter on Saturday afternoon.

The vessel started moving towards UAE after lifting anchor from the Somali coast.

Several frigates were escorting the vessel on its way to the UAE and the crew members were safe, said the sources.

Mentionable, the Bangladeshi-flagged MV Abdullah was hijacked with 23 Bangladeshi crew members in the Indian Ocean on 12 March while en route from Maputo Port in Mozambique to Al Hamriyah Port in Dubai, carrying 55,000 tonnes of thermal coal.

Somali pirates have maintained a strong record of successful ship hijacking.

On 5 December 2010, the pirates seized MV Jahan Moni, which also belonged to Kabir Group. After keeping the vessel in captivity for 99 days, the pirates released it along with its 25 crew members and the wife of the chief engineer.

At that time, both the owning authority and the government denied any involvement in paying ransom for the release.

The crew members returned to Chattogram on 21 March 2011, bringing an end to the agonising uncertainty that had plagued their loved ones for months.

Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan