Hijacking of MV Abdullah: Pirates yet to make any contact even after 6 days

Despite six days passing, the pirates who hijacked the Bangladeshi-flagged ship MV Abdullah have made no contact with the ship's owner and have not issued any demands.

However, the owner has reached out to various media outlets seeking assistance in securing the safe return of the ship and its crew.

Media Adviser Md Mizanul Islam of Kabir Group provided the information on Sunday afternoon.

He said: "All sailors aboard the hijacked ship are in good health. A sailor contacted the owners on Saturday night to update them on their condition. However, food supplies on board are depleting rapidly as the pirates are sharing meals with the sailors. We are actively working to ensure the safe return of the crew. We have initiated contact with several media outlets for assistance, but have yet to receive a favourable response."

Meanwhile, for the past six days, family members of the 23 sailors held hostage have been enduring extreme anxiety. Some relatives have fallen ill due to the stress. Many of the sailors are the sole breadwinners of their families.

Shahanur Begum, mother of Captain Md Atiq Ullah Khan, the chief officer of MV Abdullah, expressed her concerns to Bangla Tribune, saying: "Atiq is the sole earner in our family. His pregnant wife fell ill due to the stress of his captivity and had to be hospitalized. We are deeply worried about our son and hope the government takes swift action to secure their release."

On March 12, officials of the Kabir Group learned that MV Abdullah, owned by SR Shipping vessel, was hijacked by pirates. The ship was transporting coal from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates when it was seized, approximately 450 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. The vessel carries a crew of 23 Bangladeshi sailors.

Previously, on December 5, 2010, the company's ship MV Jahan Mani was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea. Twenty-five Bangladeshi sailors and 26 others, including the wife of a captain, were held captive for 100 days. Through government initiatives and other efforts, the hostages were released on March 14, 2011, and returned to Bangladesh the following day.