Two European warships escort MV Abdullah

Bangladeshi vessel MV Abdullah was freed from the pirates at Bangladesh time 3:08 am Sunday. Two nearby ships of the European Union Naval Force have been escorting the Bangladeshi vessel since then.

The European Union (EU) published images of two EU warships escorting the MV Abdullah on its website at around 2:00pm today, Monday. The pictures show that MV Abdullah is surrounded by the two EU ships on both sides. Besides, three high-speed vessels were also seen patrolling around.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, KSR Group deputy managing director Jahan Rahat said that the two EU warships have escorted the Bangladeshi vessel until it reached a safe zone. The members of EU Naval Force also spoke to the crews of MV Abdullah and inquired about their wellbeing.

Operations are being conducted off the coast of Somalia, Aden, Aqaba, Suez, the Red Sea and surrounding areas under the EU naval operation named ‘Atlanta’. Their primary purpose is to provide security for World Food Program (WFP) ships and oversee anti-piracy operations.

The MV Abdullah is heading towards Port Al Hamriya in the UAE. The vessel is likely to reach the port by 21 April, according to the KSRM Group.

Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association president, Captain Anam Chowdhury told Prothom Alo, “Those EU warships escorted the Bangladeshi vessel to ensure its security. Such initiatives from the EU Naval Force are also the results of its effort to establish that their anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast are still on. They spoke to crews of the hijacked vehicles to update their safety protocols.”

Bangladeshi vessel MV Abdullah had been held hostage by Somali pirates since 12 March. The owners freed the vessel after paying the ransom demanded by the pirates at 12:08 am on 14 April, after 32 days.

Earlier in 2010, another vessel named MV Jahan Moni owned by the same KSRM Group was hijacked by the Somali pirates. It took 99 days to free the ship from the pirates at that time.