MV Abdullah’s captain sends message of love to Bangladesh after release from captivity

Holding a green and red flag, MV Abdullah Chief Officer Atik Ullah Khan has sent a message of love to Bangladesh after he and his crew were freed from captivity.

The 23 sailors on board the Bangladeshi-flagged vessel were released by the Somali pirates who held them hostage around 3am on Sunday, reports bdnews24.com.

At 1:45pm, the captain of the vessel made his first Facebook post since his release.

The picture showed him and his crew smiling and holding up a large Bangladeshi flag.

A warship of the European Union naval force EUNAVFOR’s Operation ATALANTA accompanied the MV Abdullah.

The final photograph of the set showed EU navy commandos next to the MV Abdullah sailors.

Following its release, the MV Abdullah set off from Somalia for Dubai, according to the ship’s owners SR Shipping.

In his Facebook post, Khan thanked SR Shipping for its ‘unbelievable effort’ in freeing the vessel and his crew, while expressing gratitude for the friends, family, and well-wishers who had prayed for their safe return.

 “Thank you EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA. Thank you, Bangladesh. Love you and missing you Bangladesh,” he wrote.

The MV Abdullah’s sailors are all well, said Mizanul Islam, spokesman for the Kabir Group, which owns SR Shipping.

On Mar 12, Somali pirates seized control of the MV Abdullah and took the 23 sailors on board hostage. The vessel was transporting 55,000 tonnes of coal from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates at the time. The cargo ship is operated by SR Shipping, a unit of Kabir Group.

After capturing the vessel, the pirates moved it to the Somali coast and regularly changed its position. Nine days after the vessel was hijacked, the pirates contacted the owners through a third party.

The ship and its crew were freed 33 days later after a ransom was negotiated.