A Bangladesh flag carrier ship was hijacked by Somalian pirates in the Indian Ocean on 12 March, according to the owner of the vessel, Bangladeshi Kabir Steel and Rerolling Mill (KSRM) Group.
There were 23 crew members on the bulk carrier, namely Abdullah, formerly Golden Hawk, at the time of the pirate attack, who were held hostage onboard.
The ship owner learned about the development on Tuesday (12 March) at noon and has been trying to establish communication with the crew members.
The ship was heading towards Al Hamriyah Port of UAE carrying coal from Mozambique’s Maputo port.
An official of the KSRM Group told a local newspaper that the pirates have taken control of the ship but the crew members are in a safe space inside the vessel’s cabins. “We are trying to establish communication with the crew members,” the official said.
According to Captain Anam Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers’ Association, the pirates, who are equipped with heavy arms and ammunition, have taken over the control of the vessel.
Some voice records, sent to the family members by the crew members, inform that the pirates are now taking the ship towards Somalia. “Please help us. Please pray for us,” a voice record says.
This is the second incident of hijacking a Bangladesh-flagged vessel in history. The first incident occurred in December 2010, when pirates hijacked the ship Jahan Moni on the Arabian Sea. The pirates kept twenty-five crew members and the wife of the chief officer hostage for nearly 100 days.
Sharar Nayel
Asia Correspondent
