Govt hopeful of rescuing hostage crew unharmed: Hasan

The government hopes to rescue the crew of the hijacked ship MV Abdullah soon, said Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud today.

He was talking to the journalists after attending a coordination meeting on the development of Chattogram at Chattogram Circuit House organised by the district administration, reports our staff correspondent.

In a reply to a query, he said, “The last time when MV Jahan Moni was hijacked, it took 100 days to free the crew. Now we are trying for their release [crew of MV Abdullah] as soon as possible. We are trying to rescue the sailors and ship unharmed.”

He said, “There is coal in the ship and coal is a flammable substance. So, nothing can be done which could endanger the ship. We are proceeding keeping this in mind.”

Those who hijacked the ship have already contacted the owner authorities, said the minister adding, “Various international organisations are also cooperating with us in this regard and if you talk to the families of the sailors you will know that they are also very confident.”

“Hopefully, we will be able to rescue the sailors soon,” he said.