A Bangladeshi flag carrier ship has been hijacked by Somalian pirates in the Indian Ocean near Somalia.
The incident took place on Tuesday.
The ship named “MV Abdullah” was carrying coal from Mozambique's Maputo port to Al Hamriyah Port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The ship is owned by KSRM Group's SR Shipping. The group came to know that the ship was captured by pirates at 1:30pm.
The ship had 23 Bangladeshi sailors on board. All of them have been taken hostage, according to the ship’s owners.
KSRM's media adviser Mizanul Islam confirmed the matter.
“We have received information that the vessel is under attack by pirates in the Indian Ocean. The crew are secured within the ship's cabins,” he said.
"We are working to establish communication with them," he added.
The ship’s captain is Abdur Rashid.
A message was sent from the ship around 1:30pm, according to sources.
The Abdullah, classified as a bulk carrier, has a length overall (LOA) of 185.74 metres and a width of 30.4 metres.
The crew members are: Captain Mohammad Abdur Rashid, Chief Officer Mohammed Atik Ullah Khan, 2nd Officer Mojaherul Islam Chowdhury, 3rd Officer Md Tarequl Islam, Deck Cadet Md Sabbir Hossain, Chief Engineer ASM Saiduzzaman, 2nd Engineer Md Toufiqul Islam, 3rd Engineer Md Rokan Uddin, 4th Engineer Tanveer Ahmad, Engine Cadet Ayub Khan, Electrician Ibrahim Khalil Ullah, AB Md Anwarul Haque, AB Md Asifur Rahman, AB Sazzad Hossain, OS Joy Mahmud, OS Md Najmul Haque, OS Ainul Haque, Oiler Mohammed Shamsuddin, Oiler Md Ali Hossain, Fireman Mosharaf Hosasin Sakil, Chief Cook Md Shafiqul Islam, GS Md Noor Uddin, and Fitter Md Sale Ahmed.
MV Abdullah, earlier known as Golden Hawk, was bought by KSRM group last year.
In December 2010, Somali pirates had hijacked the Bangladeshi vessel “MV Jahan Moni” in the Arabian Sea.
They took 25 sailors and the wife of the nickel-bearing ship’s chief engineer hostage. After repeated attempts, they were freed from the pirates after 100 days and brought back home.
