23 sailors likely to return to Chattogram Saturday

All the 23 sailors of the hijacked Bangladeshi cargo vessel MV Abdullah, released by Somali pirates, are expected to return to Chattogram on Saturday (April 20).

KSRM Group, owner of the hijacked ship, is taking necessary initiative in this regard.

Mehrul Karim, chief executive officer (CEC) of KSRM Group, has shared the information with several journalists during a press conference held at the KSRM headquarters in Chattogram on Sunday (April 14) noon.

“The ship departed for Dubai port after Somali pirates left it. The ship is expected to anchor at Dubai port on April 19. Later, a new team of sailors will take charge of the ship. All arrangements are being made to bring the sailors back to Chattogram by a direct flight from Dubai. We hope the sailors will return to Chattogram directly. Later, they will be able to meet their relatives,” CEO Mehrul Karim said.

Earlier, hijacked Bangladeshi cargo vessel MV Abdullah and its all 23 crew members got release from Somali pirates after being held hostage for 31 days.

The pirates released the hijacked Bangladeshi cargo vessel and its all 23 crew members after taking ransom from them.

Earlier, on March 12 at 1:30 pm Bangladesh time, a gang of Somali pirates boarded and took control of the MV Abdullah while it was en route from the port of Maputo, Mozambique, to the United Arab Emirates. The ship was carrying 55,000 tons of coal. All 23 crew members on board are Bangladeshis. The ship is owned by SR Shipping Limited, an affiliate of Chattogram-based Kabir Group. The pirates then took the ship to the coast of Somalia.

Nine days after the ship was hijacked, the pirates contacted the ship’s owner’s group to demand ransom. There were then negotiations at various levels. The ship’s owner had hinted that the sailors would be released this month.

SR Shipping is one of the largest shipping companies in the country. They operate ocean-going merchant ships. The bulk carrier MV Abdullah, with a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 45,653 tons, has an overall length (LOA) of 185.74 metres and a width of 30.4 metres.