Pirates move Bangladeshi ship with 23 hostages to new location, say vessel owners

Pirates have relocated the Bangladeshi ship, which has 23 sailors aboard as hostages, to another area nearby, according to the ship's owners.

This move occurred one day after the ship was taken to the coast of Somalia, Prothom Alo reports.

On Thursday, the pirates initially anchored the ship 200 nautical miles off the Somalian port of Garacad at 1:00 PM.

Later that evening, they anchored it seven nautical miles off there. 

When asked, Mizanul Islam, the media adviser for Kabir Group, which owns the ship, told the Bangla daily, “It has been confirmed that the ship was moved elsewhere from the Somali coast. However, the sailors are in good health.”

Earlier, on Tuesday at 1:30 PM, pirates seized control of the Bangladeshi-flagged cargo ship, which was carrying 50 thousand tonnes of coal, in Mozambique while it was en route to Dubai.

On the third day after seizing control, they directed the ship towards the Somali coast on Thursday.

As of now, the Somali pirates have not communicated their demands for the crew's release.

Kabir Group’s Media Adviser Mizanul Islam further mentioned to the Bangla daily, “The pirates have not yet contacted us. However, we are not sitting idle.

“We have made all necessary preparations for negotiations, and we are also reaching out to international mediation organisations.”