The number of armed Somalian pirates on the commandeered Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah is increasing.
Mehrul Karim, Chief Executive Officer of the Kabir Group-owned company SR Shipping Limited, said that the position of the ship, being held by pirates, has changed.
The pirates may make contact after taking the ship to a safe zone. But more armed pirates have boarded the ship in the meantime, Karim added. With hostage sailors as well as pirates on board, the demand for food and water has increased. There is fear of food shortage. We await communication with the pirates. Arrangements will be made to send food and water through a third party if necessary. We are in regular contact with the seafarers’ families, so that they do not panic. As in the past, we rescued another ship of ours with sailors. This time again we will start working as soon as the pirates contact the third party. The current position of the ship is the same as before, Karim continued.
He said that the current situation is somewhat alarming as more pirates board new ships. However, no ransom has been demanded by the pirates. The ship was stocked with 20-25 days of food. There was about 200 tons of water. Now pirates also have food with the sailors. It will quickly run out of food and water. The ship is 4 nautical miles away.
Earlier on Friday afternoon, the ship’s chief officer Captain Md Atique Ullah Khan said in an e-mail message that the ship was anchored off the coast of Somalia. But after a day’s break, the ship started moving again. At the command of the pirates, the anchor was dropped. The pirates then ordered the ship to sail.
Meanwhile, an Indian warship is keeping an eye on the Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah, held hostage by Somali pirates. Along with the Indian warship, a long-range maritime patrol aircraft has also been stationed in the vicinity to assist the Bangladeshi vessel.
Md Mizanul Islam, Media Advisor of Kabir Group, said that the ship may be contacted by the pirates after bringing them to the safe zone. No ransom has been claimed by third parties yet.
However, all the sailors on board are healthy. We are always in touch with the relatives of the sailors.
Sakhawat Hossain, General Secretary of Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association, said, “After the ship was taken hostage, we informed the International Transport Federation about the matter. But the big problem there is clean water. Pirates are also sharing food and water with hostage sailors. Water rationing now has to be done in the hostage situation. Now water should only be used for cooking and food. International organizations do not have operations to deliver food and water to the coast of Somalia. It is also difficult to supply water to ships by tugboats off the coast of Somalia. An alternative way must be found.
Later on Tuesday afternoon, the Bangladeshi-flagged ship MV Abdullah was boarded and taken over by Somalian pirates in the Indian Ocean while on its way to the United Arab Emirates with coal from the African country of Mozambique. 23 sailors on the ship are also held hostage by the pirates.
Earlier in 2010, the same owner’s ship MV Ship Jahan Moni was captured by Somali pirates. The ship with 26 sailors was freed after 100 days at the initiative of the owner.