“Son, our ship has been hit by a missile, pray for us”

Mohammad Sakib Aman was taking his ill brother to hospital from their home in Enayet Bazar in Chattogram city. His mother and two brothers were also in the car.

On the way, he received an audio message on WhatsApp from his father, Mohammad Aman Ullah’s number.

As soon as he played the audio, he heard his father’s worried voice: “Son, our ship has been hit by a missile. Pray for us, so, pray for us. I may not be able to communicate any more. Stay safe. And pray for us. No need to tell this to your mother about this. She will be very worried.”

The three brothers in the car froze after hearing their father’s message. However, they could not keep the news from their mother.

As the audio was played over the loudspeaker, she heard everything. According to Sakib, his mother began sobbing uncontrollably as soon as she heard the news.

The incident took place on Wednesday. Mohammad Aman Ullah works as the chief engineer of the bulk carrier “MV Cape Dao”.

The vessel came under attack off the coast of Oman while sailing from the United Arab Emirates towards India.

Sakib Aman told Prothom Alo that his father sent the audio message at 1:06 pm. The family then lost contact with him for some time.

Chief Engineer Aman Ullah is a former cadet of the 15th batch of the Marine Fisheries Academy. His son, Sakib Aman, is also a cadet of the 53rd batch of Bangladesh Marine Academy. He works as a junior officer and is currently in Chattogram.

Citing information he later received from his father, Sakib said two consecutive strikes hit the rear section of the vessel, near the engine room and accommodation area.

The attack also damaged his father’s cabin. However, Aman Ullah was not in his cabin when the attack took place. He was performing his duties in the control room, which saved his life.

According to Oman’s state media, the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged MV Cape Dao came under attack about 25 nautical miles from the coast of Musandam, Oman.

The attack caused a fire in the vessel’s engine room. The Royal Navy of Oman rescued 27 crew members, while one sailor died.

The Times of India, citing India’s Ministry of External Affairs, reported that the sailor who died was Indian. The vessel had 20 Indian sailors on board, of whom 19 were rescued. However, other reports have cited different figures for the number of Indian nationals on board.

Sakib Aman said the authorities evacuated his father and the other surviving sailors from the vessel and took them to Oman after the attack. The family later re-established contact with him.

He said, “My father is now safe. He is being kept in Oman. At first, after hearing the audio, we could not understand what had happened. Later, when we learnt that he had been rescued, we felt somewhat relieved.”

However, the family members cannot forget those few minutes of uncertainty.