7 Bangladeshi crewmen from MV Albedo released

Somali pirates have released on Saturday seven Bangladeshi crewmen, who were on board the Malaysian ship, MV Albedo, hijacked more than three and a half years ago.

The foreign ministry said they were in good health and being flown to Nairobi by a special aircraft of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Kenya.

They will be put up in a Nairobi hotel under Bangladesh mission care until their return to Bangladesh.

They will undergo further check-up at the Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi, the ministry said.

The vessel was hijacked on Nov 26, 2010.

The foreign ministry said it had been “pro-actively” engaged with all concerned, both at home and abroad, since the unfortunate abduction of its nationals, along with crewmen from India, Sri Lanka, Iran and Pakistan.

Initially, the foreign ministry confirmed through Maritime Piracy and Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) based in London quoting sources in the UN Office for Somalia and Nairobi that the seven were alive.

The authorities concerned in Malaysia were approached, as the ship was owned by a Malaysian national.

The High Commissioner of Malaysia in Dhaka was also requested by the government to use their offices to secure the hostages’ release.

But, several meetings later, the Malaysian authorities said they had hit a wall, as the Malaysian owner had already abandoned the vessel.

Owing to a dire lack of maintenance, MV Albedo sank on July 7, 2013, and the pirates shifted the ship’s hostage crew members to another hijacked fishing vessel.

The foreign ministry said it was closely monitoring developments and remained fully engaged in obtaining release of the seven abducted seamen.

But it said the government, as a matter of principle, was not in a position to even bargain on paying ransom.

So the ministry continued to keep the London-based MPHRP engaged with the issue and invited the latter to visit the families of the seven crew in Bangladesh.

A team of the MPHRP was in Bangladesh from in March 2013 and through a seminar at BIISS shared their perspectives on how to have the crew released as also to familiarise with possible strategies to meet such emergencies.

They also visited the family members of the abducted crews in Chittagong.

They also agreed to pay $ 200 per month to the needy families of the hostages.

On their release, the government appreciated the assistance of the UNODC and MPHRP for their continuous support.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali were always deeply concerned about this humanitarian issue and closely monitored all steps, the foreign ministry said.

Hasina had earlier directed all concerned to do whatever necessary for their speedy and safe release.

Secretary (Maritime Affairs Unit) Md Khurshed Alam handled the on behalf of the ministry.