Pirates have seized control of the Bangladeshi flag ship MV Abdullah and are steering it towards the coast of Somalia, according to reports. The vessel is making slow progress towards its destination, with no ransom demands communicated by the pirates even after 24 hours since the hijacking occurred.

SR Shipping, a subsidiary of the Kabir Group which owns the ship, is working tirelessly alongside the 23 crew members to establish communication with the pirates and secure the release of the vessel. As of the latest update, the sailors are confirmed to be safe.

Commodore Mohammad Maqsood Alam, Director General of the Department of Shipping, disclosed in a press briefing in Dhaka that MV Abdullah is currently heading northwest at a slow pace towards the Somali coast. The hijacking occurred approximately 500 nautical miles off the Somali coast around noon local time on Tuesday, triggering an alert from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The vessel's trajectory showed a northwesterly movement at 7:37 p.m. on Tuesday, followed by a further northwestward shift at 4:28 a.m. on Wednesday.

Referring to the latest location of the MV Abdullah ship from the Bangladesh Navy, Commodore Mohammad Maqsood Alam said that the ship was 570 nautical miles away from the coast at 1:33 pm on Tuesday. It was 480 nautical miles from the coast at 6:38 am on Wednesday. That is, the ship is moving very slowly towards Somalia. No authorities have yet been contacted by the pirates. Since they did not communicate, it is not known whether the ransom or for what purpose they did it.

“As per the instructions of the Minister of State for Shipping and Senior Secretary, we are contacting all the authorities in Bangladesh. On the one hand, as diplomatic efforts are ongoing, on the other hand, Bangladesh Navy has bilateral treaties with several countries. Using that as a whole, we are moving towards the goal of freeing the ship and its sailors,” he added.

Meanwhile, several sailors of the ship have been able to contact the owner. They also sent audio messages to the family.

Atiq Ullah Khan, the chief officer of the hijacked ship, said in an audio message sent to his wife, "They are taking mobile phones from us. The final word is that if we don't pay here, we are being asked to kill one by one. They said that the sooner you pay them, the sooner they will leave. Pass this message to everyone. Now they are taking the mobile.”

The ship's chief engineer Saiduzzaman said in the audio sent to the ship's owner, “Sir, all our mobiles are being seized. This is the last chance. If we keep the internet service of our ship open, I will try to put messages there in any situation. Ask to keep it open, then we will contact as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said that the sailors will be brought back to the country at any cost. But so far nothing is known about the ransom or the pirates' demands.

Highlighting the latest situation of the 23 sailors of the hostage ship, he said that efforts are being made to free the sailors of the hostage ship by communicating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Navy and all relevant international levels. The government is determined to bring the sailors back safely, the sailors are still safe and sound, but the ship is now under the control of pirates.

“Our first priority is to keep the lives of seafarers and others safe. Protecting and rescuing sailors. The shipping system of Bangladesh is now connected with the world. After being informed about the matter yesterday, we immediately contacted all the wings involved in international shipping, including the Ministry of External Affairs. The Navy has a lot of international contacts, we have also contacted them. Hon'ble Prime Minister has ordered to make all arrangements to bring them back safely. We are working accordingly,” he added.

Pirates took control of the Bangladeshi flag ship MV Abdullah in the Indian Ocean last Tuesday and held its 23 sailors hostage. The Kabir Group-owned SR Shipping vessel was en route to the United Arab Emirates with coal from the African country of Mozambique when it was hijacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean.

Earlier in December 2010, the Bangladeshi ship Jahan Mani was captured by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea. Then 25 sailors and the wife of the chief engineer of that ship were taken hostage. They were freed from the pirates after 100 days of trying in various ways. Later they were brought back to the country.

(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on March 14 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)