Pirates release MV Abdullah, crew

The Bangladeshi-flagged vessel MV Abdullah and its 23 crew members were released by Somali pirates after being hijacked in the Indian ocean and held hostage for 32 days.

KSRM Deputy Managing Director (DMD) Shahriar Jahan Rahat confirmed the matter to The Daily Star at 3:30am today.

The ship, owned by KSRM Group, was captured at gunpoint on March 12 around 600 nautical miles off the Somalian coast while carrying coal from Maputo in Mozambique to Al Hamriyah in the UAE.

He said the ship and the crew got released after negotiation with the pirates ended successfully.

 

Currently the ship is sailing towards the UAE port for unloading cargo. All 23 crew on board are safe, in good health, and have been able to contact their relatives, he said.

The ship may reach the UAE port within a week.

A family member of a crew, wishing anonymity, said they spoke with their relative aboard the MV Abdullah. The crew members told them that two navy ships were escorting the vessel to the UAE.

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