The 23 crew members of MV Abdullah, which was released on April 14 after 33 days of captivity by Somali pirates, met their families Tuesday afternoon as the vessel reached the Chattogram Port in Bangladesh.
The crew members received a warm welcome when vessel MV Jahan Moni-3, carrying them from Kutubdia in Cox's Bazar, reached New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT)-1.
Relatives waiting for the sailors' safe return had gathered at the port jetty with flowers.
Abdun Nur Khan Asif, younger brother of the chief officer, Atiqullah Khan, said, "I can't express in words how happy we are that my elder brother is back. The whole family was waiting for this day."
Ibrahim Khalilullah, a sailor, thanked the Bangladeshi people and the authorities for ensuring their safe return.
State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury told VOA that all the sailors on the ship are in sound health. "After being freed, they went to Dubai, from there they came to Bangladesh with the goods. The sailors are physically and mentally healthy and very well," he said.
Mizanul Islam, media adviser of KSRM, owner of the hijacked vessel, said the crew members will go to their respective homes and that care was taken to send them to their destinations safely.
The ordeal began on March 12 when the MV Abdullah was seized by Somali pirates about 600 nautical miles off the Somali coast en route from Mozambique to Dubai.
The pirates took control of the vessel and its crew, holding them until a ransom of $5 million facilitated their release on the night of April 13.
The vessel, which was hijacked for 33 days, first arrived at the outer anchorage of the Al-Hamriya Port in the United Arab Emirates on April 21 and anchored at the UAE port on the evening of April 22.
It departed for Bangladesh on April 28 after unloading 55,000 metric tons of coal.
When asked about the process of rescuing the ship, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said, "We are an international maritime country. We have friendly relations with everyone, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the European Union. When a ship using an international route falls under the hands of pirates, all kinds of agencies and countries, including maritime, cooperate."
The state minister added, "And the pirates of the country that hijacked it also have a security issue. So, the pressure that was created by combining everything was of great help in saving the ship. Our dialogues, the pressure of the international community contributed to the rescue of the ship."
On behalf of Deputy Managing Director of KSRM Group Shahriar Jahan, Mizanul Islam told VOA, "It was a challenge for us to bring back the ship and the sailors safely and soundly. ... We had past experience. In 2010, one of our ships was captured by Somali pirates. Using this experience, we were able to bring the sailors back unharmed."
New crew members took charge of the MV Abdullah on Tuesday and sailed for the United Arab Emirates.
This story originated in VOA's Bangla Service. Some information for this report came from UNB Wires.
