It is unlikely that 23 Bangladeshi sailors who have been held hostage by Somali pirates for 18 days will be rescued and brought back to the country before Eid ul Fitr. Although the ship's owner is in talks with the pirates' representative, there is still no progress to speak of for the release of the sailors. In such a situation, sailors may not be celebrating Eid with their family members.
The rescue of sailors before Eid is being spread somewhere. In such a situation, a source of SR Shipping, a subsidiary of the Chattogram-based Kabir Group (KSRM) that owns the ship, said that talks are ongoing with the pirates' representative but still nothing to say. There is also a matter of keeping the family members of sailors at peace. That is why it is being said somewhere that the sailors will be freed and brought back to the country before Eid. But the real truth is that it is difficult to free the sailors before Eid.
On March 12, Somali pirates took MV Abdullah hostage along with 23 Bangladeshi sailors in the Indian Ocean. They later took the ship near the coast of Somalia. The pirates have now anchored the ship one and a half nautical miles off the coast of Jifal in Somalia's Gadhavjiran district after changing its location several times.
Almost 13 years ago on December 5, 2010, a ship owned by the same group named MV Jahan Mani was hijacked by Somali pirates. Then after collecting the ransom, the bandits got off the ship. After 100 days all were rescued including the sailors. This time, not much is known about the ransom. And he did not say anything specific about the ransom. After demanding the ransom, the owner will negotiate. Then in 40 days, the two parties agreed on the ransom. The money is then sent as per demand to the place indicated by the bandits. Later, after receiving the ransom money, the bandits came to the ship and divided the money. After that, the bandits got off the ship. In other words, it took almost two months to get the release even after the settlement. This time too, it is believed that the process can be released. As a result, the completion of all processes is a time-consuming matter.
However, despite the delay in the rescue of the sailors, the good news is that all the sailors are safe so far. Bandits are also treated well. No torture or intimidation is being shown to them. In the meantime, the bandits have started bringing lambs and goats from the shore for the ship's sailors. As a result, the anxiety among sailors about food has been greatly reduced. However, there is some concern among sailors about the depletion of fresh water on board.
However, Mizanul Islam, the spokesperson and media adviser of Kabir Group, the owner of the ship, said that the talks with the bandits regarding the release of the sailors are progressing well. He told Barta24.com, "Though it was an informal communication, the pirates responded well." They are also treating sailors well. They allow sailors to stay in their own cabins, participate in the regular maintenance work of the ship. Even allowing communication with family members. All in all, the bandits are responding positively. We hope that there will be an agreement with them regarding the release of the sailors very soon. Our main goal is to resolve the crisis peacefully and bring the sailors back to the country.