Two European and Indian naval vessels made attempts to rescue sailors held hostage aboard the Bangladesh-flagged ship MV Abdullah, which had fallen into the hands of pirates in the Indian Ocean, the captured ship’s chief officer, Captain Atiq Ullah Khan, has said in an audio message to his family.
The warships had pursued MV Abdullah for a distance on separate occasions, but the pirates had responded by brandishing weapons at the sailors and firing blanks, prompting the naval vessels to retreat to avoid endangering the hostages, Atiq said in the three-minute and 14-second audio message on Thursday.
He said despite being physically unharmed, the sailors were mentally distressed, forced to sleep on the ship's bridge and share a single washroom.
"Yesterday (Wednesday), a navy ship was approaching, followed by another one today (Thursday). Both ships aimed to rescue us, but their efforts were thwarted. The pirates held us at gunpoint, rendering the rescue operation impossible. Despite the advanced equipment on the navy ships, the pirates remained unfazed," he recounted.
"... they have not harmed us yet… there is nothing when I sleep on one side, but on the other side, I see a big machine staring back at me. How can anyone sleep under such circumstances? Despite the mental strain, I remain physically well. I strive to maintain my health amidst adversity. Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), we still have food."
"Pirates are eating and drinking with us. They are using our water. With the remaining food, we estimate it will last us 10-15 days. Beyond that, we anticipate significant difficulties once our food reserves are depleted. The situation will become dire once our water runs out,” Atiq continued.
Seeking prayers from his family, Atiq said they arrived in Somalia at 3pm on Thursday. “We have established a positive rapport with them (pirates). We have managed to convince them to allow us to come to our cabins. [But] we have to return to the bridge. Please tell everyone to pray for us so that we may return home safely. May Allah make it easy for us through fasting. We sit on the bridge and call on Allah for help. May Allah hear our calls.”
Atiq said he believed they would return home to their families, citing widespread prayers offered for their safety, proactive measures taken by the government and the international media coverage of their plight.
He held out hope that he would be able to see his family before Eid-ul-Firtr.
Shakhawat Hossain, general secretary of the Bangladesh Merchant Marine Officers' Association, said the ship had anchored seven nautical miles off the Somali coast, but the pirates had yet to establish contact with the ship's owners or present any demands.
MV Abdullah, transporting coal with its 23 crew members, was en route from Mozambique to the UAE when it was seized by pirates in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday.
Previously, on December 5, 2010, the MV Jahan Moni, owned by the same company, was seized by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea. Twenty-six individuals on board were held captive for 100 days.
They were released on March 14, 2011 and returned home the next day.