MV Abdullah finally returns home

Bangladeshi-flagged ship MV Abdullah has safely returned home with all 23 sailors aboard.

The ship arrived in the Kutubdia coastal area of ​​Cox's Bazar on Monday evening through the Kutubdia Channel in the Bay of Bengal.

Two months ago, the Bangladeshi flag carrier was captured by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The ship was ransomed after being taken hostage.

Then the ship left for Bangladesh after discharging goods and loading limestones at UAE ports. After two long months, the wait for the ship's sailors and their relatives is finally over.

The sailors will return from Kutubdia to Chittagong port on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a team of 23 sailors has left Chattogram to take charge of MV Abdullah.

Lighter vessel MV Jahan Moni-3 left the Sadarghat KSRM jetty in Chattogram with sailors on Monday afternoon. The sailors of MV Abdullah will depart from Kutubdia on Tuesday morning.

The sailors are expected to reach the jetty on Tuesday afternoon. There, they will be received by the owners and relatives of the sailors.

Ahmed Tanveer, engineer of MV Abdullah, said, “We reached Kutubdia coast around 4:30 pm on Monday. After a while, the ship will be anchored.”

KSRM Media Adviser Mizanul Islam said the vessel will arrive at the port's outer anchorage on Wednesday after discharging some cargo at Kutubdia. The rest of the goods will be redeemed there.

On April 29, the ship left Mina Saqr port in the United Arab Emirates after loading 56,000 tonness of limestones.

On March 12, Somali bandits took MV Abdullah hostage on the way to the UAE from Maputo port in Mozambique, Africa.

The bandits held the 23 sailors in a cabin at gunpoint. After the seizure, the ship was towed off the coast of Somalia.

During the hostage period, an agreement was made between the pirates and the ship owner.

Bandits disembarked from the MV Abdullah on April 13 at 3:08 am (Bangladesh time). Earlier in the afternoon of the same day, the bandits accepted the ransom as per their demand.

In a special plane, three bags of ransom dollars were thrown into the sea next to the MV Abdullah. They took the bags with a speed boat.

Freed from the bandits, the MV Abdullah left the coast of Somalia on the night of April 13 for the UAE.

The ship arrived at Al Hamriya port, UAE on April 21. After discharging the goods there, the ship loaded itself with limestones from Mina Saqr port in the same country and left for Bangladesh.

In December 2010, the Bangladeshi ship Jahan Mani was captured by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea. At that time, 25 sailors and the wife of the chief engineer of the ship were taken hostage. After various attempts, they were freed from the pirates after 100 days.