Officials from the Department of Shipping have confirmed that contact has been established with the Somali pirates and the captain of the MV Abdullah ship. However, they clarified that discussions regarding the ransom for the sailors have not taken place.
This confirmation came on Wednesday from officials of the Department of Shipping. Meanwhile, in an interview with a prominent television channel of the country, Director General (DG) of the Directorate of Shipping, Commodore Mohammad Maqsood Alam, assured that the sailors of the ship are in good health.
DG Alam stated, "The hostage sailors of the Bangladeshi ship MV Abdullah have been contacted. They have also been able to speak with their families. They are in good health."
The MV Abdullah, owned by SR Shipping, fell under the control of Somali pirates at approximately 1:30 PM Bangladesh time on March 12. Presently, 23 Bangladeshi sailors and crew on board are being held as hostages by the pirates.
Among the crew, 11 sailors hail from Chittagong, while the remainder are residents of various districts including Feni, Noakhali, Khulna, Faridpur, and Sirajganj.
