In light of the shocking news of the Bangladesh-flagged ship MV Abdullah being taken hostage by pirates off the coast of Somalia, it is encouraging to see State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury state definitively that the first priority was to keep the 23 crew members of the ship safe and sound and bring them back home alive at any cost.
Holding the minister to his words, the onus is now on each and every responsible individual to do their part and leave no stone unturned to ensure that these men at sea are able to come home once again.
With that said, this is not the first ship that has been taken by pirates, and questions naturally arise with regard to having more security and safety measures on these vessels, so as to not fall prey to these nefarious groups in the first place. Moving forward, we require the authorities concerned to have better foresight with regard to overall safety and ensuring that such an incident never repeats again.
It also goes without saying that there needs to be more international communication and collaboration to weed out the issue of pirates in global waters; with all of the security measures at the disposal of nations, there is no reason why pirates can still roam the waters and have their pick of vessels.
With an eye for long-term safety of our ships in the seas and oceans of the world, for now, it is truly all hands on deck to ensure that the crew are brought back home, safe and sound.
