With MV Abdullah being hijacked by Somali pirates on Tuesday, here is another incident from 2010 when another Bangladeshi vessel crew members were taken hostage by the notorious bandits in the Indian Ocean.
In 2010, Bangladeshi cargo ship MV Jahan Moni, carrying 26 crew members and a staggering 43,150 tons of nickel ore, faced a harrowing ordeal after being hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea.
Their journey, which began in Indonesia and aimed to reach Greece, turned into a 100-day nightmare.
The ship departed Indonesia on November 11, 2010, with a stop planned in Singapore before heading towards Greece. On December 5, disaster struck. At approximately 3:30pm, distressing news reached officials: MV Jahan Moni had been attacked by Somali pirates roughly 170 nautical miles from Laksha Island, India.
Somali pirates had seized control of the vessel, taking the crew hostage and initiating a journey towards the Somali coast. Negotiations spearheaded by a negotiator named Leon began on December 12, with the pirates demanding a hefty ransom of $9 million.
As days turned into weeks, the situation on board worsened. Captain Farid Ahmed made a distress call on December 24, highlighting the critical shortage of essential supplies like food, water, and fuel.
Negotiations continued for two long months, and finally, on February 22, a ransom amount was agreed upon. The pirates provided written assurances of the crew's release.
On March 12, two waterproof suitcases filled with millions of dollars were delivered to the pirates.
Although reports suggest the ransom amounted to $4.62 million with an additional $100,000 for fuel, the ship's owner denied any ransom payment.
On the morning of March 13, 2011, after nearly 100 days in captivity, the ordeal finally ended for the crew of MV Jahan Moni. They were released, marking the conclusion of a terrifying experience.