How a Red Sea storm pushed five Bangladeshi sailors to captivity in Yemen

They were sending money to their families in Bangladesh. Until a Red Sea storm changed everything. Jobless, now the five Bangladeshi sailors are staring at an uncertain future.

When their ship sank, they were rescued by others. But they were captured by Houthi rebels of Yemen. After 11 months in captivity, they have returned home.       

Md Alauddin, Mohammad Alamgir Hossain, Rahim Uddin, Mohammad Yusuf and Abu Toyob are all from Chattogram.

Speaking to bdnews24.com on Saturday, Alauddin, Rahim and Yusuf said they had lost hope of returning home during the terrifying months in captivity.

FROM MASIRAH ISLAND TO AS-SALIF PORT

The Bangladeshis, working for Island Bridge Trading and Transport Container, set sail for Yanbu Port of Saudi Arabia on three ships from Masirah Island of Oman in the Arab Sea on Feb 12, 2020 after a Saudi company rented the vessels.

After crossing the Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea, one of the ships, with Alauddin, Alamgir and four others on board, sank during a storm. The two other ships rescued them.

Due to the storm, they changed course and sought help to anchor at the As-Salif Port of Yemen.

On getting permission, the two ships were headed towards the port, but some gunmen on speedboats fired their weapons and took them hostage. The abductors took away their papers, passports and mobile phones.

Later, the sailors came to know that their captors were Houthi rebels who kidnapped them for ransom.

The 20 kidnapped sailors included 14 Indians and one Egyptian.

At gunpoint, the kidnappers moved them to a hotel in capital Sanaa from the port after two days.

TEN MONTHS AT HOTEL BASEMENT

They were kept and fed in the hotel well for two days before being taken to the basement, where they spent the next 10 months. 

The sailors had been given only one meal a day -- lentil and rice – in this period.

Yusuf and many others fell ill. The Houthi rebels threatened to beat and kill them when the abductees wanted to raise the issue.

Those guarding them were between 12 and 14 years old.

Yusuf said he was hospitalised following repeated requests from his colleagues, but another danger ws lurking for him there.

A bag of blood was taken from him under the excuse of a test.

“The others decided not to go to hospital when they fell ill after hearing of my experience,” Yusuf said. 

“We had no idea when we would be freed. We had no hope. We spent the time in panic as the hotel’s walls were shaken by loud bangs of bombings and gunfire every night,” said Alauddin.

He said they did not let their families get a sniff of their situation while speaking to them over phone. They were given mobile phones for half an hour every week after three months.

 

When they contacted their employer, he said they were trying to free them, but declined to give details.

They also contacted State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam after getting his number from an expatriate Bangladeshi businessman through a colleague.

The state minister told them by the end of November, two days before their release, that the rebels had agreed to free them.

Officials from the Embassy of India in Yemen rescued the 20 on Nov 28 and took them to Aden on Dec 3. The International Organisation of Migration took charge of the Bangladeshis after the Indian sailors returned home on Dec 5.

Finally, on Jan 10 this year, the five Bangladeshi sailors returned home via Dubai.

UNCERTAIN LIFE

Rahim said he had travelled to Oman in 2012. His company paid his expenses there. This allowed him to send all his earnings to the family.

“I haven’t earned money in the past one year. The savings are gone. I don’t even have the money to renew my passport. I contacted with the company, but they are saying nothing,” he said.

“We will have to live hand to mouth after some more days,” Rahim said.  

The others are in a similar condition, with several months of wages unapid by their company, besides the 11 months in captivity. They have pleaded with the government to get them their due salaries.

Zahirul Alam Majumder, deputy director at the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training in Chattogram, said they had informed their headquarters about the issue.