Operations underway to rescue vessel and crew

The initiative to rescue the vessel MV Abdullah with 23 crew members on board from the Somalian pirates have started.  The owners have contacted a UK company that insured the hijacked ship. However, none of the owners or the insurance company has been able to make any direct contact with the pirates as of Wednesday night.

Speaking to three experienced captains and engineers in the naval sector and persons relevant to the owners, it has been learnt that it may take some time to rescue the ship and the crews after completing all the procedures in such cases. The pirates take this time to put the owners under pressure to get what they want.

London and Kuala Lumpur-based piracy observation agency International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has sent a map showing the latest route of the hijacked ship to the Merchant Marine Officers Association Wednesday noon. It shows the ship is heading toward the Somalian coast. It may take a day or two to reach the coast at the current pace of the ship.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Wednesday, ship owner Kabir Group’s advisor Mizanul Islam said the pirates usually demand the ransom after getting into a safe zone and observing the situation. However, it has not been possible to contact them yet. Efforts are on to rescue the ship with all the sailors abroad as soon as possible.

The pirates from Somalia took control of the vessel on its way from the Maputo port of Mozambique to UAE at around 1:30 pm Bangladesh time. The ship is carrying some 50,000 tonnes of coal. As per the data of the UK-based Maritime Trade Operation, the ship was some 600 nautical miles east to Somalia capital Mogadishu in the Indian Ocean at the time of being hijacked.

The ship is owned by Kabir Group’s sister concern SR Shipping Limited. The ship was added to the convoy some three months ago.

The ship owners separately open insurance at international companies for a ship to run it through piracy prone areas or through areas at war. The owners have to pay high premiums for piracy, hijacking or ransom related insurances. The ship which has been hijacked also had insurance, according to a source.

Captain Mohiuddin Abdul Quader works as Bangladesh representative at different international insurance companies.

Speaking regarding rescuing the hijacked ship and the crews abroad, he told Prothom Alo if the ship has insurance then an efficient team of the insurance company mainly negotiates with the pirates. There are several intermediary agencies to negotiate on behalf of the pirates. The ship and the crews are released when a negotiation is reached.

It took 100 days to release MV Jahan Moni Mukta, the first ever Bangladeshi ship to be hijacked. Although it took a long time, the ship and the 26 crews on board were rescued unharmed. However, how much time will be needed this time is still uncertain. It depends on how much it takes to reach a negotiation. The pirates usually waste time in various ways to mount more pressure.

Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers Association president told Prothom Alo that this sorts process take time. First, it takes time to reach a negotiation. The pirates don’t take the ransom directly through any bank account. They ask to keep the money at a certain place of their choice. They usually ask to drop the money in a waterproof bag from a plane into the sea.

Apart from the owners, the government has also started its efforts to rescue the ship, said state minister for shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury while speaking to the newspersons at the secretariat on Wednesday.

He said Bangladesh has sought assistance at all levels from local to international. The first priority is to bring the 23 crews on board to safety.

The state minister for shipping said the foreign ministry has taken initiatives internationally to rescue the ship and its crews. The ship is still in control of the pirates, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said.

Somalia doesn’t have any stable government. The Somalian government doesn’t have control in many areas of the riot-torn country. So there are not many alternatives to free the ship and the crews complying with the demand of the pirates, relevant persons say.

The owners contacted the crews lastly on Wednesday morning. So far the 23 crews are still unharmed, the owners said. Josna Begum, mother of the ship’s fourth engineer Tanvir Ahmed, told Prothom Alo that the pirates haven’t laid hands on any of the crews yet.

The ship had food supplies of 25 days for the 23 sailors and around 200 tonnes of water.

*This report appeared on the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu