23 sailors of MV Abdullah to return home today
Freed from the Somali pirates, The Bangladeshi-flagged ship MV Abdullah has finally reached Kutubdia in Cox's Bazar after two months. The 23 crew currently on board will be brought to KSRM Lighter Jetty Sadarghat by a lighter vessel on Tuesday (May 14) from where they will return home. On behalf of the ship's sailors, the captain thanked the people.
Earlier on Monday (May 13) around 6:40 pm, the ship anchored at Kutubdia. Meanwhile, a new group of 23 sailors has gone to Kutubdia from Chattogram to take charge of the ship.
The ship owned by KSRM Group was hijacked by Somali pirates from the Indian Ocean on March 12. After 33 days, the ship was freed on the night of April 13. The ship then first arrived at Al-Hamriya port in the emirate. After discharging the goods there, the ship loaded limestone from another port and left for Chattogram. As such, the ship arrived in the waters of Bangladesh after 13 days from the Emirates.
The ship with the new team on board, carrying 56,000 tons of limestone, will first offload some limestone to lighter ships at Kutubdia. The new 23 sailors will then bring the ship near Patenga, where the remaining cargo will be unloaded.
On 12 March, MV Abdullah, carrying 55,000 tonnes of coal from Mozambique to Dubai, was captured by Somali pirates, along with 23 of its sailors.
The ship was freed after paying a ransom to the pirates on 14 April.
This is the second time that pirates have hijacked a Bangladeshi ship.
Earlier in 2010, the same company's MV Jahan Moni ship was hijacked by Somali pirates. At that time, 26 people were on board, including 25 crew and the captain's wife.
They were rescued and brought back to the country with the ship after 100 days.
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